Fable Crescent
by crescent-moon-demon
Summary: A retake on some of our favourite fairytales, featuring some of my favourite yaoi pairings. Includes Naruto, Harry Potter, Kingdom Hearts, .Hack/G.U and Dragonlance.
1. Introduction

I welcome you all, to this land of fairytale and myth. It's always been a deepest pleasure of mine to scour through any book I could get my hands on; but yet I've never found a more fascinating genre than that of Fantasy –and more specifically, Fairytales. Dragons, Knights, evil designs and brave hearts... How could anything be better?

Alas, this pleasure becomes an affliction because no longer am I satisfied with just reading these wondrous tales; but now I must write them myself. Or, to be correct, _rewrite_ them.

Hence, I welcome you again to Fairytale Redux: Fanfic version. Be forewarned, these tales are most definitely yaoi, and they may displease you with the change in traditional stories; yet I am most anxious to share with you my own view of how these tales should have played out.

Each chapter is a different story; a different pairing. The title will be the fairytale, and beneath it I will the pairing –one of several of my all time favourites.

I sincerely hope you enjoy them all.

Your authoress,

~C.M.D


	2. Little Mermaid

_**Little Mermaid**_  
_**~Redux~**_

_*LoreddionxNagato -Dragonlance*_

A long time ago, in an age where the land was riddled with spirits and creatures of wonder and myth -a time that man has long since forgotten- there was the sea. A great and wondrous thing the sea was: wide was its borders; deep was its reach, and nothing could top taller than the waves that could grasp at the pinnacles of the cliffs. It was beautiful, yet it was dangerous and unknown. Man looked to it, breathed of its air, but they strayed not near it. Yet after all the acres of land had been traveled, and humankind had touched all four points of the Earth, some deemed it time to go further.

But it is empty! Many cried. These darers pointed out the number of fish and sea life that had been pulled up onto the shores.

But it is endless! Many more cried. Courageous men relished the thought of an endless terrain to explore.

You will fall off the edge! They all came to say. Such an image daunted some. But the very brave few could not care for these warnings.

They gathered men together, threw steel and sweat into the deal, worked for years until they had a vessel capable of traveling the vast water. Then they hired these workers to help aboard the journey, and they set off; sent off by the awe and tears of family and stranger alike, floating off into the blue horizon.

It was not too long after that many more people were traveling by these strange vessels -ships, they called them- and more than for mere exploration. Small ships were made for fishing along the coasts; medium ones for the fishing in deeper waters and for small travels across the way; large ones for longer voyages. Each Kingdom had its own set of large ships, for their armies and for their explorers. The thrill of exploration had worn off, and now human greed pushed for mass production of these water vessels. There was land to be conquered, gold to be had, and most importantly, pirates to handle. And as mankind's vanity grew, they forgot about the others, about the reasons why they feared the dark and the endless bowels of the deep.

* * *

In the deep, deep dark, where the water is nearly stagnant, and above oneself, they can see the swirls of distant currents and no glimmer of the surface, a lone being stirred. His body was covered in a shawl of woven seaweed, which lifted and fluttered as he stirred, floating off his form and onto the stone floor. Without the covering, the individual's form was exposed to prying eyes. If mortal man were to look upon this male, they would find him horribly disfigured, an abomination; a demon, perhaps. But down here, where the waters are dark and cool, just from the brink of the endless abyss, none would find this person quite so strange. For his webbed fingers and pointed ears and long, shimmering fish tail that replaced normal legs were all the common characteristics of a mermaid.

Mermaids -and mermen, because there were a few of these gender among the seafolk- were beautiful, but cruel sirens. They loved their homes, and found beauty within the coral reefs and chasms that covered the area. They were vain, capricious creatures, who had an affection for games and all sorts of mischief. They bejeweled themselves not with gems like mankind, but with all manners of shells, fish and flora from the sea floor. They knew of the humans above their ocean homes, and thought little of them, other than that they were ridiculous, ugly, little creatures. Because, of course, why would anyone ever want to stay above the waves on a rock that was so dried out and covered in ugly, little plants? No, the mermaids liked the sea more than anything, and they took to taunting the humans when they could.

They especially found it fun to jump out onto rocks along the shore, and sing to the men about the wonders and beauty of the sea, while they passed by in their boats. They particularly liked doing this when a great storm was shaking the coast, and the sailors were frantically trying to keep from running aground among the jagged rocks.

A school of fish passed through the young merman's grotto, finally drawing the male awake. With a yawn, he rose up from his stone bed, fingers brushing at his mass of orange hair, leaving two long braids to drift along behind him lazily. Smiling, the merman directed himself to a pothole within his home, preening his watery image. His fingers skimmed over a small collection of shells and kelp jewelery sitting on a natural shelf on the grotto's walls, before he decided -as he always did- not to wear any of them. Outside, he could already hear the rest of the colony awake, songs and laughter being carried along the water.

Hesitantly, the young merman headed out of his grotto into the warmer under currents. His beautiful red scales glistened in the dim light, which was coming from potholes in the reef. The indents carried bits of flora that the strongest of the merfolk soldiers had found during their dives into the abyss over the cliff side. The light they cast was of a strange yellow glow, that some of the older merpeople said looked like the ball of fire that hung in man's sky. It was a disconcerting thought, but the merfolk enjoyed the triviality of its luminosity still, more so than its function. Everything was about the aesthetics for their people.

As he moved pass the cliff shelves that circled his home, under the bridge and into the main part of the merfolk city, the coral reefs became more abundant and schools of fish trailed around him. He had heard the tales before: the humans called the merfolk's home Atlantis; said that it held castles of sparkling diamond and gems. As nice as it was, those tales were false. Their city held no such name -it had none, in reality- and it certainly didn't have castles of such petty stones. The merfolk's reef was hardly a city, but more like a colony. The reef they inhabited literally was their home, riddled with holes that opened in thousands of chambers and caverns that each of them lived in. They did have a ruler: a strong Red Hawkfish, who shared the throne with an Angel fish, and a black Eel. Justarius was a good man. So was Viridia, for all her extra goodness. And then there was Yomon, who was not necessarily good by most standards, but he did balance out the power and that was what mattered most, Justarius said. The rulers lived within a building shaped like a giant conch shell, pointing toward the surface. Many days, the conch shell was filled with the merfolk, attending councils and galas, and symphonies and magic lessons.

The merfolk were excellent at magic. It was an ancient gift that had been given to them when Neptune created their world and their people. But it was limited. They could only harness so much of it; it was all natural and affected their world greatly. Under the tutelage of their rulers, the merfolk were segregated, put under different studies, to harness the different tangible flows of their sea sorcery. The young merman was a student of King Justarius, but he could go no further in his studies though he was one of the best students, until he had come of age. All mermaids and mermen came into the fullness of their magic once they reached sixteen years; and as an extra bonus, they were allowed to go to the surface and explore to their hearts' content. With nothing to do, and no one to play with, the lone merman swam to the palace.

Inside its massive structure were a series of more reefs, growing along the inside walls. These too were riddled with holes, opening up into smaller rooms. The main area that one came into after stepping through the arches was considered the ballroom and the audience room. The bottom of it was swept clear of all debris, covered in pale white sand that constantly swirled in small eddies as it was stirred by the merfolk's tail fins. More of the glowing flora lined the walls in perfect lines, encased in strong bubbles, that strengthened and caused a glittering effect with the light that was appealing to the eye. The thrones of their rulers was on the opposite side, positioned dead center in the middle on a dais of large clam shells that jutted out from the conch walls.

Ignoring the mass of merpeople that floated about the room, the young merman hastened to his destination, a hole in the reef just off to his left. He brushed the colorful perimeter of sea urchins as he passed, diving deep into the hollow of the reef. Before his eyes, the room opened up into a large chamber that was deeper than it appeared on the outside. All around the room and the walls were peculiar rock formations, almost squarish if one had to say, that had been chiseled out to act as shelves. On them were books: stalagmite pages that were held together by bindings of strong seaweed. This was the merfolk's library, containing all the vast knowledge that Neptune had given them. It was a favourite place of the merman. He spent many hours in this place, drifting about languidly, reading all he could.

His fingers reached for one of the books on a shelf he had yet to get to, pulling the book off with a puff of bubbles. "I see you're already here Nagato."

The young merman fumbled with his book, dropping it before scooping it back up again. He turned to the voice, watching as Justarius drifted down to him. The merman was not old, but he looked as if he had seen at least fifty human years, and there were lines beginning to etch at his features. He approached the young merman, his eyes crinkled with a smile. "This is truly your favourite place, Nagato. One would wonder if this was your habitat," Justarius chuckled.

Nagato shook his head of orange locks, a small smile coming to his own lips at the joke. "No," he mumbled in reply. "Only reading."

Justarius looked to the books. "I see."

"Listen, Nagato," the older merman said, focusing entirely on the other. "I came to speak to you today of an important manner. As you may know, tomorrow is your sixteenth birthday. You will come into the fullness of your powers... and you will have received the right to journey to the surface. I know how long you have waited..."

Justarius trailed off, and Nagato took this moment to nod his head in acknowledgment. The truth though was that he had clear forgotten about his coming of age, and was stunned that the King would be giving him a private audience beforehand. His heart beat rapidly.

Justarius was silent as he studied the younger merman for a moment, before he smiled. "I am glad to see you finally come of age. You are talented, Nagato, even if you are quiet and shy. I know you will find the surface world bedazzling, and I am even more pleased to know that you will never stray too far from the reef all the same," the merman said, twirling his tail in the water. "I can not wait to see the things you shall do for us."

Nagato swallowed but did not speak. He did not know what to say to such praise, and felt that he would not meet the King's expectations. Justarius did not mind the silence. The Hawkfish steered toward one of the shelves, pulling a large book down. He swam back to the young merman's side, and held the book out to Nagato. "Here. This book specifically details the humans in the Upper World. Read up; so you will not be as surprised or frightened by the things you will come to see above the surface."

Nagato took the book, cradling its weight to his chest. "Yes sire," he replied. Justarius smiled again, resting a strong hand on the youth's slim shoulders.

"Take care Nagato," the King said, turning away. He swam for the cavern's entrance, pausing and looking back over his shoulder. "You should come to court more often, Nagato," Justarius said. "The choir could use your beautiful voice."

And with that, the older merman left. Sighing quietly to himself, Nagato swam to a cozy little niche in the room's floor, spreading out on the seaweed bed. He opened the book, trying to forget Justarius' subtle hint for him to interact more with the other merfolk.

* * *

The currents above whitened with the approach of dawn, signaling a brand new day. To Nagato, it was more than another day. It was his birthday, and finally his sixteen years had been met. Sunset was when he could approach the surface, and under the sun's dying rays he would receive his full potential. Excited and nervous, the young merman busied himself reading the book about humans, or practicing his simple spells. The entire time he sung; quietly at first, and then louder as he remembered that out here in his grotto he was quite alone. He sang all the common ballads and lullabies, and eventually, he begun to sing his own heart's thoughts. The fish swam nearer for a listen; even the flora and seaweed danced with the grace of the merman's song. He did have the most beautiful voice, that no other merperson could rival. A shame he was too shy to share it with anyone else.

And as the sea began to darken once more, Nagato knew it to be evening. With a swallow, he swam from his comforting grotto and headed to the surface. The currents pulled at his hair, warming him or cooling him with their passing jets. But they did not slow him down, for a mermaid's tail is extremely strong and he got through the currents without any trouble. Lighter and lighter the waters got, until Nagato could see the glimmer of the sun just beneath the waves and his heart pounded with his anxiety. The sea was covered in red and gold as he surfaced, the sun sinking just below the horizon so far away from him. "My time," Nagato whispered to himself, unable to repel the excitement any longer.

The sun sunk entirely out of sight, and as it did, its last rays stretched out across the water, touching Nagato with its fingers of light. Something inside of him seemed to erupt, and heat covered the merman's entire body. Tingles ran up and down his flesh, resonating in his scales and heart. With a breathless sigh, Nagato became all the more aware of the sea around him, and with blissful realization, knew that he had received his entire magic. The young merman waded in the water a little, still peppy from his buzz, deciding not too long after that he probably should return home. He sat up and prepared to dive down into the water, disinterested in the pale moon and stars that now hung in the sky. But then he caught sight of something sparking out of the corner of his eye, and turning, he saw that it was sprays of vibrant embers -all different colours- coming from a ship.

"Magic?," he wondered. The embers shot into the sky with a bang, raining down on the sea again. Curious, Nagato edged toward the ship, ducking beneath the waves every time the colourful embers were shot into the sky. Pulling up to the prow, he could see now that the shooting embers were being released from somewhere behind the helm by a couple of sailors. Again, Nagato found himself curious, but also perplexed. Were humans capable of magic too?

Silently, the merman circled the vessel, trying to see if there was a better angle from which he could view the men creating the embers. But nothing showed, and he was forced to pause, pondering his next step. Truly, the coloured fire intrigued him; and if it was true that the humans could perform spells as well, Justarius would want to know. There was a roar of noise from the deck, and Nagato started at the sound. He had nearly forgotten about the humans above. The waves rolled about him, and the redhead felt ready to dive back under the waves. Hearing the men partying above gave the merman new found fear. Again, he turned, preparing to head back under the water. The waves swelled again and Nagato found himself tossed up into the air. A follow-up wave hit him on the way down, sending him up once more. With a choked cry, Nagato was smacked into the side of the ship. The water pulled away, and the poor merman found himself tangled in the net hanging over the side. Trying not to scream, he clutched at the thick rope, pulling his tail free as quietly as he could. Thankfully, none of the humans seemed to notice the merman that was hanging from the side of the ship. Nagato breathed a sigh of relief as his tail finally came free, none the worse for wear with the exception of a few lost scales.

Nagato shifted his body away from the net, not wanting to get tangled up again when he dived back into the sea. But as his shifting brought him to one of the openings in the ship's rails, he found his attention drawn back to the sailors. They danced in circles along the deck, kicking their feet in time with the motley band in the corner by the captain's quarters. A couple kegs had been rolled onto the deck, and the men were breaking into the barrels with earnest, filling their goblets and toasting to the air with hearty cries. Among them, a few maidens were giggling, swirling between the sailors. Their skirts whirled among them with a flurry of bright colours as they changed partners between the music. The noise seemed to increase when somebody walked out onto the deck; the gathered crowd cheering at this person's sight. The sailors moved out of the way, and Nagato, now unbelievably curious, found himself surprised. A young woman walked toward the partyers, her thin, curvy frame covered in a beautiful green dress. Her champagne-blonde hair was loose, falling down to the middle of her back. As each strand caught the lamp light, it flared magnificently, giving the impression that she had a crown of golden thread for hair. But perhaps the most enchanting thing about this human was her vivid blue eyes- like sapphires!- that sparkled with mirth, matching perfectly the wide smile she bore on her golden cheeks. Nagato had to glance away for a moment, as he felt his face grow warm.

The other maidens aboard immediately flocked to the blonde, giggling and holding their hands out for her to join them. She conceded gracefully, letting the women twirl her about the deck between them; sharing a couple dances with the sailors. But it didn't last long, for another individual stepped between the others, marching right up to the blonde. This person, another woman who was incredibly short, waved her finger at the blonde. Nagato wished at that moment that he knew what they were saying. Merfolk and humans had always spoken different languages; it had been such since their creation. What use did the merfolk have for words and the like? The sea cut off all human sounds, and heavied the tongue. To communicate, the merfolk could speak in tones and even mild telepathy. High-pitched frequencies were the most common of mermaid tongue. But now, the merman found his ability to converse with the dolphins and the kelp a hindrance, for he could no more understand what the humans were saying, then could they understand the wind. Still, he was not dumb. He could tell that the blonde was of some importance, because the others retained a sort of rigidness in her presence, and by the fact that the short woman was now trying to drag the other back down into the hull of the ship. The blonde did not seem to like this. She dug in her heels, and gave a calm, but authoritative look to the other female. This seemed to have little effect, and so, the two ladies' banter continued. The party was beginning to wind down now. It seemed the new addition had caused a damper to the cheery spirits.

Nagato was torn from these thoughts as the ship suddenly tossed about. The sailors shouted, the maidens screamed. Rallying quickly, the men hurried about the deck, running to their posts and jumping about the mast. Bewildered, the redhead looked over his shoulder. It was night, so he had not noticed before that the sky was laden with dark clouds. These clouds had thickened though in the past few seconds and now they sparkled with lightning. The rumble of thunder was heard now, directly over their heads, and the cries of the humans grew louder. How could he have not noticed the storm creeping up on him? Ignoring the vicious howling of the wind, Nagato turned and dived back into the roiling waters. It was quieter and somewhat calmer, beneath the black waves, but the merman could feel the push and pull as the sea rocked about dangerously above his head.

_'Home! I must get home!,'_ Nagato thought, propelling himself forward through the inky darkness. With a cry, the redhead had to spin out of the way of a plummeting cannon, watching stunned as the heavy object dropped further into the ocean and out of sight. The waters heaved as many objects were tossed into it, and turning, Nagato could see what was causing the ruckus.

Somehow, perhaps from the lightning, the ship had caught fire and now bobbed in the storm, a flaming beacon for all to see. Items fell over board during the ship's continuous rocking, dumping everything on deck into the water. The humans too were jumping into the water. They attempted to pile into tiny boats, but still, some succumbed to the cold and dark of the ocean, and Nagato watched them slip down to the bottom forever. Again, rationality said that the merman should just return home. But as he watched the ship burn, and the humans try to steer their little boats to safety through the terrifying storm, he couldn't help but to wonder what happened to the blonde girl in the green dress.

A flash of green out of the corner of his eye, and with horror, Nagato whirled about in the waters. He hurried to the unconscious girl's form, praying that Lord Neptune had not yet taken her. He pushed aside the falling debris, diving quickly around the sinking hull of the once strong ship. Quickly, the merman wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist, rushing for the surface. He broke through, caught in a wave that was beginning its ascension. He followed it through its crest, diving back into the ocean before the storm's waves could crush him and the girl. He did this several times, breaking through the surface and plummeting beneath the roiling sea again. He tried to stay up long enough to make sure that the human was able to breathe, traveling under the water until he could risk it no longer. He pushed himself, faster and faster until his poor tail fin ached, and then he would push himself faster. When he next broke the surface hours later it seemed, it was to find the night sky becoming a gradient scale of purples and blues. Pink and gold touched at the far horizon.

Nagato cried out in relief, pulling the girl up above the surface with his rubbery arms. "Dawn," he breathed out. "The storm has passed." Not knowing when the girl would wake, but knowing that humans were better suited to land, the redhead pushed himself forward in search of a beach. The going was slow, but he waded along all the same. As the sun peaked over the horizon, its rays highlighted the mass of land in the distance.

"D-don't worry," Nagato panted, heaving the girl a little higher. "W-we're almost there..." The merman wearily swam for shore, clawing up the bank with one hand. His beautiful scales scratched on the rocks and sand that stretched across the beach, but he cared for nothing than to make sure that the blonde was high enough that she wouldn't be pulled out by the tide. With a heavy sigh, he laid the girl on the sand. In the sunlight he could see how terribly pale she looked, and the raggedness of her appearance. Nagato worried momentarily that she had died and that he had heaved her lifeless body around pointlessly.

But she was alive. The girl hacked unconsciously, making the merman screech in surprise, spitting up salt water that had sat in her lungs. She did not wake from this. Nagato cautiously touched her face. "Y-you'll be alright... won't you?," he asked the comatose woman. Biting his lip, the merman looked towards the sea and then across the beach. He saw no other life. Quietly, under his breath, he sang the magic words, enticing the sea sorcery he possessed forward. With the hand that had stroked the blonde's cheek, he waved it about her face. Light seemed to shine just under the blonde's eyelids as he performed the spell, and as it ended, she seemed to breathe just a little easier than before. Smiling, Nagato sat up and looked down upon the peacefully sleeping girl.

Church bells began to chime. Frightened by the sound, Nagato scurried back to the sea, scratching his scales once again. He was in the water quickly, and looking over his shoulder, he saw a bell tower that he had missed earlier. It stood just on the other side of the hill, where he had left the blonde, no doubt with a monastery of monks and the like. How could he have been so blind? Nagato waded into deeper water, but he kept his eyes trained to the land. He worried still about the human girl, and did not want to leave. But survival instinct took over as he saw more humans crest the hill and spot the unconscious blonde, and he sank beneath the ocean waves. He would have to trust that they could help her. He had done all he could.

* * *

Justarius swam into the library, hovering above the towering coral shelves until he found who he was looking for. The young merman below did not seem to notice the Hawkfish, so engrossed was he in the giant tome he was reading. Silently, Justarius pulled up beside Nagato, peering over his shoulder. The book he was reading was about humans. "Reading about the humans again, Nagato?"

The redhead jumped in surprise, whirling around in a wave of bubbles. "Y-your majesty," he stuttered, grabbing the book and holding it tight against his chest. Justarius only smiled at the predictable reaction, the first he had seen in weeks.

"You've been so quiet lately, Nagato... more than usual. I haven't seen you in a while," the older merman remarked. Nagato's eyes lowered in contriteness.

"I'm sorry...," he whispered.

"I had hoped you'd return to the court, but you've been isolating yourself more lately. You've even been skimping on your lessons. And you seemed eager to continue your studies before," Justarius continued. "Is everything alright? Are you having any troubles?"

Nagato shook his head, holding the book tighter. "No, no, no... I'm fine," he assured.

Justarius frowned a little, wanting to push for more, but he did not want to insult or hurt the delicate merman in any way. Deciding to let it slide for the moment, the Hawkfish reached out and comfortingly squeezed the redhead's shoulders. "If you need anything... even to talk... you know where to find me," Justarius smiled. "I hope your new studies prove fruitful."

Nagato said nothing, smiling weakly before pulling away and swimming out of the library. Justarius turned around to watch him leave; wondering again where the merman had been going the past weeks.

* * *

A cool wind blew over the surface of the water as Nagato surfaced, tousling his wet bangs. Ignoring it, he slowly headed for the shore nearby, keeping low to the waves. His copper eyes searched and searched, but like every day had proven before, the young woman from the ship was no longer within this area. He had been coming for weeks now, bobbing above the surface at different times in the day, hoping to catch a glimpse of the blonde. Alas, from morning to dusk, there was no sign of her. It was as if she had vanished.

Nagato could not understand it, and restricted to the waters, he felt hopeless, being unable to look for her on the dry land. Had she survived after all? That was the question that haunted his mind constantly. It lingered there among all his other thoughts, the ones that had been birthed since his coming of age. It was the reason why he had become so fascinated about the humans recently. But the girl dominated everything, and the merman was growing restless from these fruitless searches.

Swimming so close that his scales dragged across the sand under the water, Nagato finally conceded that he would not see her again tonight. Sighing, the redhead turned away from the beach, wading back into deeper waters.

* * *

He scoured the library. He was reading through the books faster than he had ever done before. He skimmed over spells and laws, reference books and encyclopedias. But nothing could tell him more about the humans than he had already read, and no spells offered him the ability to find the human girl. Nagato could feel his heart sinking lower and lower as he continued his attempts. He was flipping through yet another book, some of the last hundred left, when something caught his eye. He reread the line of the paragraph, turning the page and hoping to learn more.

But the entry ended on the last page, and checking quickly, there was no other information given. Nagato frowned, turning back to the tiny paragraph. "Sea witch...,?," he mumbled in confusion. He had never heard of such a person. The merfolk, though vain and frivolous in nature, still valued information; even if it only appeared in the form of gossip. Nagato may not have been the most popular person in the reef, but he certainly heard his fair share of gossip. So why then hadn't there been any word of this so called 'sea witch?' Deciding this deserved more looking into, Nagato tucked the book under his arm and swam for home.

* * *

Cold, black eyes opened up, gazing over pale, arched fingers into the darkness. He could feel the presence drawing closer to him, and his body tensed with anticipation. The water stirred a little as he shifted; trying to calm himself; trying to appear disinterested. But there was a nervousness within the other individual, that he could feel their heartbeat reverberating through the very water between them. This fact thrilled him. He could sense the merman turning in the caves beyond, approaching ever closer to his main chamber. His lips quirked a little bit, before flat-lining once more. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, returning to waiting.

* * *

The waters here were bone-chilling cold. Nagato, clutching his hands to his chest, navigated through the dark chambers, squinting in the near-darkness. He had come to this evil place, where the ghastly remains of the Leviathan lied, bones covered in dark, vile kelp; to search for the sea witch that had been mentioned in the book from the library. His poor heart was beating so rapidly, that he could hearing nothing beyond its rushing in his ears, not that there would be much to hear in this graveyard. Only the dead thrived here, and they did not speak the same language as the sea. But the merman had purpose, that was why he continued to press forward, despite his deepest wish to turn tail and flee.

It was pure coincidence that he had found a small reference to the Leviathan's grave, or Nagato would have no headings at all. Could anyone really be living here though? The merman could clearly remember the tiny passage from the book. Sea witches were a race that had been born separate from the merfolk. They bound themselves in blood to the waves, and when they had been forsaken from their own lands, Neptune had taken pity upon them and offered them shelter within his vast realm. But they were dark and corrupted; still different from the merfolk despite their shared habitat. To the dead and the shadows, the sea witches lingered, casting magic unearthly and most foul to the opinion of the rest of the ocean world.

With that in mind, Nagato fervently searched for the nearest shipwreck yards and other places that the merfolk avoided for various reasons. The Leviathan's grave was the closest place near them, a few miles east of the reef, over the edge of the Abyss. He had been so scared, peering over the cliff side and down into the darkness below. Only the city's bravest and strongest men went down into the abyss; Nagato was certainly not one of them. He was wary of the dangers that could lurk there in the unknown, uncertain of how far down the graveyard was. Thankfully, it had only been a few meters below, sitting on a platform that jutted from the wall, enshrouded in shadows. Keeping the blonde human in his mind's eye, Nagato had taken the first stroke into the gaping, bone maw of the Leviathan.

He had not looked back once yet.

For more than the first time, Nagato wished there was some sort of life within the giant corpse apart from the creepy kelp. He would even be comforted by the sight of some beast at this moment. The emptiness that resounded through this place was unsettling, and the merman didn't know how much longer he could go on before his will gave out entirely. Turning yet another corner into a chamber that looked the same as the rest of the hollowed out Leviathan, Nagato had to pause a moment. He floated in the water, tail fins flicking still because, though he was weary, he did not wish to rest anywhere near the unnatural kelp. Hugging himself against the chill, the merman sighed. He had been swimming for a good while now. Perhaps he should turn around and leave before it got any darker, and he lost his way. The thought was tempting. Nagato started to turn about, when a glimmer of light caught his eye. With a swell of hope, he swam for the red glow, finding that it curved around a small passage made between two of the Leviathan's ribs. The kelp acted like a curtain, keeping the passage from view. Mindful no longer of his fear, Nagato pushed into the tunnel, pushing himself forward rapidly. He burst into a room quicker than he had expected, and tumbled in the water as he fought to come to a stop. Shaking his head, Nagato looked up and felt his heart seize in his chest.

He had come into a chamber that opened up into a high dome. No kelp grew here, but the walls were covered in some sort of fluid, that remained slick and dark despite the decay of its host's body eons ago. It looked disturbingly like blood. The floor dipped somewhat, and in its middle sat a bowl, in which a strange, bubbling liquid was providing the crimson light. Just beyond the bowl, in the shadows, six long, black tentacles swayed freely in the water. Continuing upwards, the tentacles melded into a man's waist, and a little higher, strong arms that held arched fingers before a broad chest; behind which black, fathomless eyes stared at the small merman. Nagato swallowed sharply.

"I-i-i-i...," he stammered, unable to get the words to leave his mouth.

"You have come to seek out the sea witch," the stranger said for him, his deep voice filling the chamber though he spoke quietly.

Nagato nodded.

"What is your question?," the man asked after a moment, when it became obvious that the redhead wasn't going to continue.

Nagato squeaked in fright, bobbing nervously in place as he hastened to speak. "I-i-i... I-i've come for your h-help," he repeated pointlessly. "I-i need t-to go o-on land. T-there is a hum- someone... I-i must k-know that they a-are alright. C-can you p-provide me w-with the magic necessary?"

The sea witch motioned for the merman to come forward, but Nagato was instilled with so much fear, that he could only curl on himself slightly at the long finger. Scowling, the first emotion he had seen on the other's face, the sea witch rose and swam toward the redhead. He circled around him, black tentacles brushing against Nagato's tail and waist, before he swam away from the merman and to the bowl of light. Nagato was glad when the sea witch had left his side. His skin crawled from the touch of such an unnatural being. Long, silver hair floated about the sea witch, painted bloody as he peered into his bowl of red liquid.

"A _human_?," he sneered, peeling his eyes away from the bowl. "It's not a common thing to hear. Pray tell, what has you so fascinated with such a plain mortal? Surely you do not find her beautiful."

Nagato flushed red, anger filling his belly at the sea witch's words, lips pressing tight together. But the stranger did not feel satisfied with his silence, so he continued. "You're lying yourself into the belief that she would have anything to offer you. Humans cannot do magic, it is beyond them. And otherwise, the two of you have nothing in common. She is dull and mundane; shouldn't you be like the others and be content with your privileged life?"

"S-shut up!," Nagato finally yelled. He glared at the sea witch. "I came for your help, not to be mocked. I-if you can't assist me t-then I shall go!"

To prove his point, the merman turned around and started for the entrance. Something yanked harshly at his tail, the sea witch swirling to a stop in front of him. His black tentacles curled around the redhead, clutching him tight within their grip as he loomed over the merman. The suckers puckered up his flesh, one lone tentacle curling about his throat, the tip resting against his jaw. Nagato choked as he felt the tentacles close in, squeezing him. "You are the one who sought me out. I will speak to you as I see fit. So be careful if you should dare spurn my courtesy," the sea witch said lowly.

Slowly, his tentacles began to retract, and Nagato gasped for breath. "You wish for silly things that could only bring you pain and misery. So be it," the man continued, his tone turning flat. "You shall have your means. I will give you a potion that will give you legs, the human necessity to walk their lands."

Rubbing his throat where the tentacles had gripped tightest, Nagato looked up at the man with hopeful disbelief. "Truly? You will give me legs?," he asked in a rush of ecstasy.

The sea witch scowled once more, swimming past the merman and to his bubbling bowl. He pulled strange jars from along the sides that the redhead had not noticed before, twisting off their caps and tipping their contents into the liquid. The crimson light changed color to a pale blue, to a sickly green and then to a splotchy yellow as each ingredient was added. The sea witch seemed so focused on his work that Nagato had to fight to keep his excitement and questions in check.

"You think I am giving you a blessing," the other finally started. He glanced at the merman quickly from under a silver bang, before returning back to his potion. It bubbled like black tar now. "But you do not understand. I can give you legs for a year's time -more than enough to satisfy your curiosity, I'm sure- yet in that duration, you can not step more than a knee's length into the sea. You will drown otherwise. By gaining legs, you are forsaking your tail and your rights to all that is of your world."

Nagato felt his heart sink. Fear and despair fought to gain control within him. To lose his tail? It was such an unbelievable thought, but of course, how else could he gain human legs? To no longer be a part of the sea, to dive beneath its waves, commerce with the fish and partake in the beauty of the reef though? Such a thought threatened to overwhelm him. The merman quickly drew up the image of the human girl, getting strength from her image. "That is fine," he replied, smiling softly.

The sea witch stiffened but it went unnoticed by the merman. "That is not all...," he added. "Exchanging your tail for legs is not natural. Surely, you know this already. The potion can only be taken above water, as you sit upon the shore in the light of a new dawn. It'll be painful... the magic will tear your flesh to mold it into a new shape. And even once the initial spell has taken effect, the pain will remain. For every step you take, it'll feel like knives beneath your feet."

Nagato touched his tail, stroking the beautiful red scales absent-mindedly. "That is fine," he repeated again. He could not see how any other pain would be greater than the isolation he felt from his own people, and the unanswered questions he harbored for the blonde mortal. To walk on land, see a world no other merfolk had been on before... he would gladly give his tail for the chance. Noting the silence, the merman looked up, locking gazes with the sea witch.

"I will be needing payment," the other said. He held out his hand, a few tentacles copying the motion. Again, Nagato felt his heart skip a beat, and panicked.

"B-but I-i-i have noth-"

"You have your voice," the sea witch interrupted. "I know it to be your best possession, and I require the highest payment. Besides, you are naturally quiet. It will matter little if you have your voice or not."

Nagato furrowed his brow, touching his throat self-consciously. He felt his adam's apple bob against his fingertips as he swallowed, pulling them away as he made up his mind. He fixed the sea witch with a resolute look, refusing to be intimidated by the other's suddenly looming figure. "I offer my voice... as payment," the merman said.

With a smirk, the sea witch closed in on the redhead, tentacles creeping up his chest and around his throat once more. Nagato shut his eyes, and begged his courage not to fail him.

* * *

The moon was fat and full in the sky above, but it's silver light was becoming subdued, as the edge of the horizon started to lighten with the approach of dawn. Nagato pulled himself up the shore with one hand, ignoring the slight pain of the sand and pebbles scraping against his beautiful scales. After all, soon it wouldn't matter. In his hand was a bottle, containing a potion that glimmered like a tiny star clasped in his fist, which would give him human legs. Above him, towered a huge, white castle. Inside, in peaceful dreams, slumbered the blonde girl. It was unsurprising that she was a princess; the aura she had given at the party on the ship could easily attest to that. Nagato was thankful that the sea witch had been generous enough to direct the merman in the right direction so he would not have wasted his year searching for the human princess.

Turning to face the coming dawn, the merman uncapped the potion bottle, lifting it with both hands to his face. For a moment, he paused, looking over the bottle's rim to the ocean beyond. He admired the way the first rays of light touched upon its surface, glinting off the waves in flecks of gold. He felt a very faint, passing doubt -a longing for home- before he tipped his head back and swallowed the potion in one large swallow. The beauty of the dawn was lost to the merman as an agony more than he had every known ripped through him. Nagato screamed silently, having given his voice to the sea witch, writhing on the beach. A fresh wave of searing pain went through him. It focused around his tail, and, as if two giant hands gripped his precious tail, there was a great tearing. His flesh was ripped apart with a crackling sound, loose scales falling to the ground. The fire of his tail increased, and he was sure that he was bleeding to death upon the sand. Convulsing as the agony increased, Nagato's eyes rolled back into his head, and he fell back against the shore, falling away to darkness.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

The question swam through the darkness of his mind, and Nagato struggled to open his eyes. Warm hands touched his forehead, brushing back the red bangs. With a gasp, he shot up, cringing as pain went through his body again. "Careful," a warm voice said. "You seemed to have gone through a horrible ordeal. You should rest, until you've regained your strength."

The warm hands were pushing him back down onto a soft surface. Finally, Nagato became conscious of his surroundings. Four walls surrounded him; large, glass windows opened up to let in the fresh sea breeze. The merman gladly breathed in the salty air, comforted by it. The hands retracted from him, and Nagato turned to see where they went. His face flushed when he realized that the blonde girl sat beside him on a chair, a smile on her pretty face. She was dressed in beautiful white silk robes, a gold sash around her waist, enunciating her curves. "I am glad that you have woken," she was saying. "The healers could find nothing wrong with you physically, but they worried that you might slip into absolute darkness, if you did not wake soon."

Nagato tried not to gape, but it was near impossible. It wasn't the princess' presence that made him so surprised, but the fact that he could actually understand her. Apparently, the sea witch had thought of everything. "Are you still unwell?," the blonde asked, her brow furrowing with worry. She had taken the merman's silence to mean something else.

Nagato opened his mouth to reply to her, when he remembered that he couldn't. Sadly, he looked down, his fingers touching his throat. He beseeched the princess with his copper eyes to understand since he was unable to tell her. For a moment, it seemed she would not get his meaning. Then, with her gentle fingers, she touched his neck, lifting his chin to reveal the mark the sea witch had left behind when he had taken his payment. She carefully studied the black-tinted scar.

"I see," she said in sympathy. "I wish you could share with me your tales, but it seems not to be so. Still... we should thank the Gods that you have survived. I, myself, was granted immunity by Neptune not too long ago when my ship fell victim to a terrible storm." She rose from her chair, smoothing out the bedsheets of the bed in which he laid in.

"Rest now," she commanded, touching his shoulder gently. "A servant shall bring you some dinner tonight, and tomorrow, if you are feeling well, I would like for you to join me. There is much to discuss, even if you can't speak with me. We shall find other means, I'm sure."

She walked to the door, turning back to say one last thing. "My name is Nearra," she told him. "I hope to know your name one day soon." Then she smiled and left. Nagato, feeling warm from the princess' words, snuggled deeper into bed and fell asleep.

* * *

Within the Leviathan, the waters were cold and chill. Usually, so stagnant, they did not move. But this night they wavered. This night beautiful music unheard of before, the kind of majesty only a heavenly voice could create, rippled through the water in song. It was a traditional song of love, but it had never been listened to by any other as it was sung by this merperson. Turning through the maze of the Leviathan's bones, one might come to the source of the song, and be in doubt that such lovely notes could come from the dark creature lurking on a throne of stone. And indeed, it was not Loreddion that was singing, but the fragile orb in his hand that emitted the song.

The sea witch had his eyes closed, listening to the song in silent reverence, the opal light from the orb washing over his features and detailing them in a look of peace. Many would be surprised by this; Nagato surely would not understand where such an expression could come from. But the merman was such a slow creature sometimes... Loreddion refused to let his thoughts be disturbed by such negativity, and returned wholly to his daydream. Through the orb came Nagato's tender voice -the payment that the sea witch had set- singing sweetly to the bitter creature. Loreddion released a sigh, holding the orb tight to his chest as his tentacles swayed in the water. Nagato's song continued, and Loreddion brought the merman's image to the forefront of his mind.

He could see the young merman in his natural beauty: copper orbs that were kind and filled him with liquid heat; slender frame and shimmering red tail that suited him well; matching red bangs that framed his lovely face and continued into two long braids. He could recall the fullness of his lips, how they lifted when he smiled; the distinct way his cheeks flushed whenever the merman was excited or embarrassed. Loreddion imagined now that the redhead sung for him, sweet lips mouthing the syllables and tones of deepest love. He could almost feel the small hands upon his forearms, the warm body pressed against his own.

The song finished with one final note, before the world around him stretched into silence. Disgruntled, Loreddion opened his eyes. His hands glowed for a moment, before the song picked up again, starting from the first verse. Closing his eyes, Loreddion rested his head against his throne, lost once more in the music of Nagato's song.

* * *

He could hear the servants as they scurried about, whispering loudly about him behind his back. Nagato did not understand why they thought he couldn't hear them since he was merely mute, but he was not bothered much by their gossip, having endured it plenty times before. Indeed, compared to home, the gossip here was tame and quite praising if he were to add. A good number of the servants questioned his origins; many entertained thoughts of sabotage and murder. Nearly all of them agreed that the merman must of have been of noble blood, for he carried himself very fine and delicate, like the people of court. True, Nagato had always been a bit of a refined person, but none would ever understand the true reason behind his delicacy. When the sea witch had informed him of the after effects of the potion, he had not been jesting. Every step gave him terrible pain, as if he were walking on shards of glass constantly. But, Nagato endured it well, knowing from experience now that it was not quite as painful as other things. And when his mind was occupied, as he found it to be most when he was around Nearra, the pain seemed to leave him entirely. Ignoring the urge to wince as he stepped harder than he meant to, Nagato walked into the library. His guide, a young servant male, bowed to him and exited behind the merman. Nagato was left alone to search for the princess by himself. It had been a few days since he had been taken in by the princess, and yet within those days he had been unable to go much further than a couple paces from his rooms. The healers said it was because of the trauma and injury he had experience at sea before washing ashore... Nagato knew it to be his inexperience at human legs and his low tolerance to the jabbing pain to his tender feet.

But he had quickly learned how to handle himself, and he was grateful for the invitation to join Nearra in the library. There was much for him to explore, but he was content to spend his first day within the palace's library. After all, what other place in the world could be better? Slowly walking through the shelves, the mermen studied all he could. He forgot almost entirely about looking for Nearra as his hands reached for a tome, pulling it off the shelf and opening it for further exploration. He was most surprised to see the humans kept books made of leather and paper. "Having fun?," a voice giggled.

Nagato nearly jumped out of his skin, and hissed slightly as his poor feet caught the abuse of his motion. Nearra smiled apologetically, touching his arm softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

Flushing, Nagato shook off her words, smiling assuredly at her. He turned to put the book away. "Do you read often?," Nearra asked, when he turned his attention back to her. She started to walk away from the shelf, and he followed. The merman nodded his head. Oh, if only he could express how often he read to her! She would certainly be amazed to know of the library situated in the palace back home. The thought of home made him slightly sad, but Nearra was already speaking again, and Nagato threw aside his small sorrows.

"My father presses for me to further my studies. I have learned everything of court and all other practical manners of nobility, but still the King asks that I continue my education," the blonde shared. "He has scholars come in frequently to teach me politics and religion; and the reading and writing of different countries and languages. Sometimes I find it tiring, but I do it so my father will be happy. Forgive me if I am unable to see you because of it."

Nagato shook his head. He could never be offended by Nearra spending time on her studies. In fact, it was good that she continued to learn. Nagato should have been doing the same thing himself... "Can you read and write?," the princess asked. Their walking had led them to comfy chairs by the library's fireplace. Nearra sat in one, and Nagato gladly seated himself in the other.

He smiled his answer to Nearra's question, nodding his head. "Truly?," the girl inquired. "Which ones?"

She realized a moment after what she had said. "I am sorry," she apologized, "I had forgotten in the excitement."

Again, Nagato gestured that her apology was unnecessary. He was not insulted. "But, perhaps you can show me then?," Nearra suggested. She beckoned for a servant waiting along the wall to come forward, then sent him off for parchment and ink. When he returned, he was joined by another servant who carried a small lacquered table to Nagato's side. Picking up the quill easily, Nagato found himself nearly at a lost with how to approach. But then he noticed the bottle of ink, and recalled how the humans performed their writing. There was a moment of frightening recollection, when the memory of the sea witch's own tentacles rose up within his mind, but Nagato quickly pushed it away and turned his attention to the parchment.

Several times he wrote out _My name is Nagato_, each in different languages. He capped the ink bottle, lying the quill on the table before handing his parchment to the patiently waiting princess. Nearra took the paper gladly, scanning the written words. Her blue eyes alighted when she recognized the characters he had wrote in. "Common, French, Arabic, Chinese, Latin...," she murmured to herself, ticking them off as she went. "I dare say, there's even a bit of Sanskrit in here too!"

She lifted her head and smiled at the merman coyly. "My, my, my Nagato... I would have never guessed. You are very educated. Eight languages is a lot to master."

Nagato knew more than eight languages. He knew thirty-seven in total to be exact, but he thought it best only to include the ones that were relevant to the humans. Nearra certainly wouldn't understand the erratic dots and lines that were the physical code of the whales' songs. In higher spirits it seemed, Nearra started a barrage of questions, to which Nagato happily answered on the provided parchment. Not too long after, he was invited to join the princess in her studies as she had to attend her Gaelic classes next. Nagato, obviously, accepted.

* * *

"Don't you find him odd, though?," asked her attendant. Nearra glanced down at the small woman, watching as Koi yanked lightly at a braid. Her green eyes were fixed firmly onto the ballroom floor, her lips pressed in a curious frown.

Nearra smiled at the question, turning her own attention back to the ball. Members of court filtered around, leaning into each other as they discussed the stranger among them. Nagato seemed not to notice much of the attention he was receiving; either that, or he was quite used to it. The princess believed it to be the latter. The young merman seemed to glide across the room, his red braids trailing behind him as he moved. It was a sight to see such a delicate form with healthy, light brown skin and a crown of carrot-coloured locks. And his eyes... such a peculiar color but they melted into the rest of his appearance with perfect harmony. Even across from here, Nearra wished that Nagato would turn around so she could get a glimpse of those enchanting orbs. But of course, he didn't, continuing his walk through the ballroom.

"Princess... you're not paying attention."

"Hmmm?," Nearra said, coming back to reality. She turned her attention to Koi, who was now frowning a little at her.

"The slaves have finished your song. Your highness didn't hear a single note," Koi told her. "Thinking about your strange pet again?"

"Koi, you know very well that Nagato is not my pet. He is my guest," Nearra replied. "And besides, weren't you the one who was first thinking about him?"

Koi blinked then smiled. She shrugged concedingly. "Perhaps, but now the orchestra is about to begin. Your father will expect you to dance."

"I know...," Nearra clipped.

"He would like you to mingle with the courtiers. Converse with some of the young men."

"I know," Nearra frowned at her attendant's words. It was such a terrible burden, having finally come of age. As the only heir, the crown would come to her. But her father would not be pleased until she had wed, ensuring that she would be provided for once he was gone. These decisions weighed down the blonde, darkening her more happy thoughts. "I hardly see how I'll find a husband in this crowd. It's been the same people nearly all my life," she pointed out.

Koi opened her mouth to reply, when she was cut off by the orchestra starting their first string. Courtiers circled around the ballroom floor, but none yet stepped out to begin the dance. Traditionally, the hosts of the party would start the first dance. The princess though, the only one of her family attending this ball and therefore titled the hostess, refused to budge from her seat. She started to raise her hand to allow the courtiers to continue on without her, when a lone figure stepped away from the crowd. Nearra looked on curiously as Nagato walked toward the dais, looking as if he was floating on air as he pulled closer. The orchestra continued the music, the violins taking the lead in a song that sounded beautiful and unreal, with a touch of melancholy.

With amazing grace, the redhead bowed first to the princess, before sweeping into another pose. It was as if he became one with the music. Nearra watched enthralled as Nagato twirled and stepped to the song, moving in time with the notes, swaying his arms and body. The way he spun about, the gentle lifting of his arms that seemed to reach out and embrace her; it all blended together as he moved across the dance floor. It was with a breaking heart that the song ended, and Nagato slowly came to a stop. His warm, expressive eyes caught the princess', and Nearra felt as if she might melt within those copper orbs. He broke eye contact, and bowed once more. When he straightened up, he smiled at her, before turning and gliding off of the dance floor. The room erupted into such noise. The courtiers, ensnared by such beautiful dancing, applauded and murmured their praise around the room. Nearra found herself applauding as well, tears of wonder lining at her eyes.

"Princess, are you alright?," Koi asked from her side.

Breathing deeply, as if there was a fresh breeze, Nearra smiled broadly. "Yes, I am most well," she answered. "Thanks to my dear friend."

* * *

Time seemed to be passing quicker than it appeared. Before he could quite contemplate it, a day turned into a week, a week became a couple months. Nagato did not mind. He felt his connection to the princess grow stronger, and indeed, Nearra seemed to enjoy his company just as much. He was given permission to join her in nearly every activity of the day, and the merman found himself learning things that he would never had come across when he was home. He found great talent in playing the violin and the weaving that the princess partook in. A little poor on fencing, Nagato still received praise from the blonde's instructor because he moved with such grace and he could dodge and deflect wonderfully. Nearra seemed especially pleased with the redhead's hidden talents. She took more joy in her lessons than she had before. She was determined to shine this gem that had come from the sea. All the servants and slaves of the palace saw this, and they whispered to each other in the halls. They found Nagato to be more alluring each day, and they wondered where such a talented, intelligent young man could of come from. The theory now was that he was a prince lost at sea, made unimportant simply because he could not speak. Such an imagined tale stroke everybody's heart with a perfect touch of tragedy, so that they wanted to know more about Nagato. Nearra seemed to want the same. She had changed her schedule, so that in the evenings, she had free time to sit with the merman and talk. She asked him questions about himself, and in turn, she told him her own tales. Together, they wrote out their histories, and Nagato found himself becoming enamored with the princess.

"You must of been very brave," he wrote, after hearing her daring story of her climb down the cliffside, to pick a flower that bloomed on an overhanging branch for her mother.

Nearra laughed. "Perhaps. Father and Koi didn't think so though. They thought it to be quite foolish. But, I was a tiny lass then and courage came in plenty. I could not so easily do such a feat these days."

Nagato nodded his head in understanding, and the talk continued.

* * *

The moon shone down on the world, bathing it in a layer of sweet silver. Above the stars could be seen, sparkling like diamond dust throughout the sky. Wincing with each weary step, Nagato walked down the twisting marble path to the waves at the bottom. The palace, situated near the sea, had this stairwell that reached all the way down into a man-made cove. By day it was quite beautiful, or so he heard. Nagato had not the chance to see it. But the palace was full of mourners this night, and it would be for a few more nights still. The merman felt that he needed to get away from the grief, for a little while. In his mind, he recalled the way the princess knelt beside her mother's casket, draped in black clothe, tears trailing down her lovely cheeks. The sight of her despair caused him pain, and it felt worse that he could offer her nothing of comfort. He did not even have tears to shed, for he was a merman still, despite his legs, and the merfolk had no such function. He reached the bottom step at last, and sitting gingerly on the broad step, he dipped his feet into the water. The chill sea felt heavenly on his aching feet, and Nagato sighed in relief.

"Enjoying yourself?," a cold voice asked.

Nagato jumped at the voice, turning to face the intruder. The sea witch rose from the water until only his lower half remained hidden beneath the waves. He leaned nonchalantly against the wall, staring at the merman with his dark eyes. "It has been three months already. Have you learned much from the humans? Have you satisfied your curiosity now?"

Nagato shifted away from the creature, looking down at his knees. He shook his head.

"There is still something they have to offer you then? Pray tell, what could it possibly be?," the sea witch sneered.

Nagato looked up at the other, opening his mouth. He remembered only a second after that he could not speak, and his cheeks flushed in embarrassment at his error. He had not made a slip like that in a long time. Biting his lip, the merman wondered how to pose his question, when he had no voice nor parchment and quill with him. The sea witch seemed to read his thoughts though. "You want to know about souls, don't you?," he asked.

Nagato nodded his head vigorously, clasping his hands imploringly at the man. "Please, tell me everything!," his eyes begged. He did not notice how the other stiffened at his pleading.

"Fine," the sea witch grumbled, turning his face away from the merman. "When the Gods created the world, each set out to make their own set of creatures. To Pluto went the ghouls and wraiths that flit between this world and the other realm. Neptune filled the seas with the merfolk and sea creatures. Jupiter, in all his arrogance, created the humans."

"Each of the Gods beset their creations with the things necessary to them. The ghouls could pass through any physical object and move across the boundary lines unseen. The merfolk could use the magic of the waves, speak to their fish brethren and live for hundreds of years. The humans could create and expand. That is perhaps their only good trait," he explained. "But Jupiter, being ruler over all, made something special for his pets to balance out their lacking features to the rest of the world. He made them a soul; to each human his own soul and therefore, his own end."

"Mankind, as you know, die quickly," the sea witch went on. "They do not last nearly as long as the merfolk, and that's when they're not killing themselves off in pointless wars and squabbles for money and land. They serve little purpose to the rest of the world, so when a human dies, something must become of them -or so Jupiter thought. Here comes the soul part. The God made it possible for the humans to make names for themselves. The soul becomes a tapestry then; it details the human's life story. And when they die, everything that shaped them -their thoughts and feelings- are retained within this spectral form and lasts for eternity. The greatest of humans have their stories and names sewn into the stars."

Nagato blinked in surprise. He had never heard of such a thing before. When the sea witch looked at him again, he asked another question. "You do not have a soul," the sea witch answered. "Jupiter did not want any other creature to possess the same gift as his _precious humans_, so he forbade the other Gods from doing anything of the sort. When you come to die in the next three hundred years, your body will simply melt away and you will become naught but foam on the waves."

The merman jumped to his feet, though it caused him pain, and glared down the sea witch with a look of disbelieving anger. "Don't get upset with me," the other snarled. "It is your fate; the fate of your people. You can not change it."

_'No!,' _Nagato screamed in his head. _'You're lying! There has to be a way.'_

The sea witch did not answer for a moment. He looked off into the distance, the water lapping at his stomach. Crying in despair, Nagato crumpled on the step, hugging his knees to his chest. Now that he knew this truth, he did not wish to be a mermaid. He wanted to have a soul like the humans. He didn't want to fade into nothing. "Only an idiot like yourself would not know this," the sea witch finally said. Nagato tried to ignore him, but the harsh words cut through his non-existent tears.

"If you care so much, then try to gain yourself a soul. It's possible, but no sensible person would attempt it." The merman lifted his head, looking at the sea witch shocked. "In order to gain a soul, you must make a human fall in love with you. Only when you stand before a priest, with your hands clasped, and be bound in matrimony before the witness of the Gods can you then attain a soul."

"I'll do it!," Nagato exclaimed with his eyes. He reached out to the man, wanting to know more. A tentacle snapped out of the water, catching the merman's wrist. Nagato swallowed back the scream that would have risen.

The cold sea witch turned to him. "We have already made a contract. I shall alter it to fit these new circumstances. If you can make the one in your heart, your beloved_ princess_," here he spat the word, "fall in love with you before the end of the year, than you shall have your soul and your human legs for the rest of your life. But should she marry someone else, or should the year end without you achieving this task, then the sunrise of the next morning, you shall die and become only foam on the sea."

Nagato swallowed, but slowly, he nodded his head. The sea witch's lips pressed into a firm line. "Agreed," the other said. Another tentacle reached up and touched the black scar underneath the merman's chin. Nagato gasped as an electric jolt ran through him. "The terms have been set. Shall you need my assistance, call me by my name. I will meet you here." Finally, the sea witch released him and disappeared beneath the dark water.

* * *

As the days passed, and the palace continued to wave their flags at half-mast for their lost queen, Nagato found himself also lost in his own thoughts. He was faced with a dark truth now, and no matter how he tried to approach the subject, he was terrified of the black void that spelled his destiny. To be soulless... it seemed unjust. Like a cruel joke played on the outsider. Nagato wondered if he truly deserved to be here among the humans. One day, he wandered to the balcony and became lost with the view. He gazed out over the green cliffs and palace turrets and towers, to the great ocean that lay beyond. He thought of what must have been going on back home. As he was contemplating diving over the edge, to the waves that sparkled down below, Nearra stepped onto the balcony.

"Please," she whispered. "If you truly feel like going over, take me with you."

The merman pulled back from the banister, facing the princess. She was still dressed entirely in black, the dark veil over her face doing little to hide her grief. Fresh tears fell from her eyes. "This pain," she choked. "I do not think I can bear it. And if you leave me now, I shall truly drown within my own sorrow. I do not want to face this alone!"

Torn by her despair, but unable to shed tears for her, Nagato hurried to the princess' side, wrapping her up in his arms. The girl clasped his robes tightly, and cried into his chest. After a few minutes, she had composed herself enough that she could finally pull away. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I should have better control."

Nagato shook his head, taking both of her trembling hands in his own. He looked her in the eye, and tried to share with her his thoughts. Whether or not Nearra understood him did not matter, for she smiled anyways and wrapped her arms around him in another hug. "My dear friend. What would I do without you?"

The merman did not know. He wondered what he would do without the princess himself.

* * *

From that day, Nagato remained by the princess' side. He offered a shoulder to cry on when she was overcome by her sadness, petting her hair gently and sharing his understanding smile with her. He became her column of support. When night came, and the princess was forced into the company of the court, Nagato made sure to always be in eyesight; dancing for her. Even though it pained him greatly, he danced and danced and danced, never stopping until the girl was finally able to smile. Because of this, the poor merman's feet began to blister and bleed. He found himself making regular trips down the marble staircase to the little cove to dip his feet in the sea water. It was the only thing that could ease the aching.

Nagato found a surprising companion down by the cove. The sea witch came by often to keep the suffering merman company, bringing fresh seaweed from the ocean floor to wrap around the worst of his injuries. The redhead was touched by this kindness. Though he could not actually speak the words, he made his thoughts loud and clear, so that the sea witch could hear them. From this, they made small conversation. "I have to thank you," Nagato's eyes said, as he turned them to the other. "For everything you've done. You have gone beyond the contract for me."

"It's not for you sake," the sea witch replied lowly, turning his face away from the merman. "Your voice is beyond any treasure that I could receive as payment for a simple potion. It's proper business to reimburse you for the difference."

Even though the words were cold, Nagato could not fault the sea witch. As his feet healed, he shared with the other the things that he had done throughout the day. His stories expressed his own pain for the grieving princess, but slowly they changed. As the princess' heart healed, the girl found her courage and happiness returning. She returned to her studies, but added more activities to her schedule. Nagato found himself being fitted for several different outfits so he might follow Nearra where she went. And the places they journeyed to! They rode out on horseback to visit the city and surrounding towns. They walked through bountiful orchards, and hiked up mountains to see the glorious sky and clouds above. The forests and gardens the princess brought him to were stunning; the sound of life from the birds and bees heartwarming. Each day unveiled a new wonder that the humans' world had hidden away, that the merfolk could not witness from their seas. The colors and the smells were a few of the examples, completely dominating over the few ones that Nagato had experienced back home. When the merman explained all these fantastic things to the sea witch, his eyes glowed with a joy and eagerness that far surpassed any that a normal man might feel. To the sea witch, those happy orbs were like a bittersweet honey.

"Loreddion...," Nagato's mind hesitated on the sea witch's name, never having used it previously. "Do you think the princess might care for me?"

There was silence, and the merman bit his lip, waiting for the other's constant advice. He could feel his heart racing madly, and knew the reasons to be because of his growing adoration for Nearra. She seemed to grow more beautiful each day, and he was thankful that he had saved her life so long ago. But, he worried that he might become nothing more than a burden to her and be pushed aside. He did not think he could handle that. And... there was still the matter of a soul to be had. Though he waited patiently, Loreddion did not answer his question.

"I must be going," was all the sea witch said, before he dipped beneath the waves and was gone. Nagato called for his friend to come back, but he did not. Sighing quietly to himself, the merman rose to his feet and returned to the palace.

* * *

"I am to be married."

The quiet announcement stunned Nagato and he dropped the book he was holding. He turned to wholly face the princess, who sat with him on the picnic blanket, her own book clutched tightly in her lap. Her expression was of resignation, her blue eyes dark with thought. Finally, she took notice of the merman's contorted face and turned to him, smiling sadly.

"I know," she said. "I understand how you feel."

Nagato shook his head. How could she understand what he felt? The princess reached out, brushing his cheek with her hand. "The King has decreed it. He does not want me to wallow away in grief over my poor mother's soul... nor does he wish for me to live the rest of my life a spinster," she explained. "He says I must meet with these men, but he will not force me into a marriage. Father says I may pick out of the selected bunch."

If Nearra hoped that these words would be comforting, they were not. Nagato already was aware that he was not one of the selected men with the privilege to vie for the princess' hand. Her father would not pick some sea-side mute for his daughter. Biting his lip, the merman closed his eyes, so as to spare the blonde the ugliness of his thoughts. He opened them again when he had gained control. "When?," his copper orbs asked.

Nearra continued to stroke his cheek, before sighing and pulling away. She looked over to her right, where the sea and sky waited. "Next month, I am to meet the first candidate," she informed him.

Nagato felt his heart sink.

"But I can never love them," Nearra said.

The merman perked up. He touched the princess' hand, wishing to know more. She turned back to him. "I can never love them... for I love someone else already," she continued. Nagato's heart lifted with hope. Could it be possible? he wondered.

Nearra tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, tilting her head back and looking up at the heavens. "It's amazing...," she sighed. "How the Gods favored me and saved me from death that night at sea. I know there was an angel watching over me, for he saved me from the brink of darkness, and drew me back into the light. I wish I could remember more about him..."

The princess trailed off. Nagato hardly seemed to notice. He was too busy focusing on the joy that flooded his being. His heart raced wildly. He had nothing to fear from these other men, for Nearra was already in love! Surely she would choose to marry the one that beat within her heart. The girl touched his cheek again, and Nagato did his best not to lean into her gentle warm hand. "You know," she whispered to him, "You remind me of that angel, my dear friend."

"It is me!," Nagato wanted to cry. "I was the one that saved you from the sea. I am the one you love!" But he did not have the voice to share the words, and Nearra seemed blind to the truth within his eyes. She pulled away again and stood to her feet. She held out her hand to him.

"Come. We must head back. Dinner will be served soon," she said.

Despite the disconcerting thought that their time had ended for the day, Nagato still rose to his feet, smiling to the princess. He would wait then. He would treat Nearra as a man should treat the girl they loved. He would bring her flowers and the such, make her smile and laugh. She would realize soon that he was her rescuer, and all the more glad she would be to learn that she had not only gained a friend, but a husband as well. Buzzing with joy, the merman could not wait to go down to the cove tonight to tell the sea witch about this great achievement.

* * *

When Loreddion rose from the water that night, he did not know what to expect. He thought that maybe Nagato would try to talk about Nearra's uncertain feelings with him again; expected to see an upset redhead sitting on the step perhaps, waiting for him. What he did not expect to see was this jovial creature, that greeted him with so lovely a smile that it threatened to tear the sea witch's heart from his chest. "I guess something good happened?," Loreddion sneered, going on the defensive. He did not like Nagato's smile. It unsettled him.

The merman nodded his head at the other's words, ignoring the cruel tone. His copper eyes opened up and Loreddion was able to read Nagato's every thought from them. He could hear the hope and joy from the redhead's heart, caused by the apparent evidence that the princess truly loved him. "How can she love you if she doesn't know you?," the sea witch inquired.

Nagato blinked at him, his smile like the ones shared with people who were dimwitted. Loreddion disliked that smile even more. His tentacles tensed beneath the water, but he kept himself controlled. "Am I to assume then that you are continuing to strive for her hand?"

Again, the merman nodded. His thoughts expressed his different plans that he would use to court the princess, and eventually help her remember him. "If only I had my voice," the redhead remorsed. "I would sing for her, and then she would know me for who I am." Nagato looked at the sea witch hopefully. "Would you lend me my voice for one song?," his eyes asked.

Hot, surging anger tore through Loreddion. His tentacles snapped from the water, wrapping around the merman's wrists. He tugged him forward so that the other hovered just above the black waters. "I should drown you," Loreddion hissed, grabbing the redhead's cheeks tightly in his fist. "The audacity to ask for your payment returned. If even for a little while."

Nagato's eyes spoke his panic. They apologized, and begged for forgiveness. "Why should I give you forgiveness?," the sea witch yelled. The merman's trembling angered him so. "Just so you can go back to your silly, little princess!"

Loreddion shoved Nagato away from him, the merman hitting the marble steps hard. He ignored the others gasps of pain, wading closer to the staircase. He lifted his tentacles into the air, grabbing Nagato within them. He ripped the redhead's robes off, exposing his naked body to the night. "Let me make something clear to you...," Loreddion growled. His tentacles tightened around Nagato's limbs, prying his legs wide open. The merman would have screamed if he could.

Instead, he twisted in panic, not understanding what the sea witch was about to do. "You think your humans are such saints," Loreddion hissed. His free tentacles trailed across Nagato's naked flesh. Slime oozed from his pores and left trails in their wake, sliding down the redhead's heaving chest. He purposely directed his puckers along Nagato's nipples, watching as the merman's cheeks turned red with the strange sensation. Between his legs, he started to become aroused.

Loreddion took notice of this, and his dark eyes lighted with hunger. He continued to let his tentacles to have free rein, touching every spare inch of the merman's body. "You are so delusional," the sea witch told Nagato. His tentacles traced down the redhead's inner thighs, reaching for his half-erect member and thumbing along his entrance. Nagato jolted at the foreign touch, struggling harder once again to get away from it. Loreddion smiled darkly, his hold tightening around the merman's thin arms and legs. Mercilessly, he drove his tentacles into Nagato's ass.

The merman arched in a silent scream. "Naive, little mermaid," Loreddion taunted, taking pleasure from Nagato's tormented features. "This is called rape. The humans do this often. Women, men and children... it matters not. The assailant never really cares who becomes his prey."

Nagato's lips moved in silent pleas, his eyes screwed tightly shut as Loreddion began to move his tentacles. They twisted and writhed within the redhead, probing the wet passage. Hot blood flowed out of the puckered hole, around the tentacles, but Loreddion didn't notice this. He was too focused on the heat that surrounded his tentacles inside. Finally, he touched something that made the merman arch again, this time from pleasure. Loreddion sneered. "Do you like that?," he asked, as his tentacles began a vigorous thrust, pulling out and driving back in to attack the discovered prostate. He leaned over Nagato to get a better look at his expression.

Loreddion wrapped a fist around the merman's straining dick, using his other hand to tug back his head. "This is what the humans call rutting," Loreddion hissed into Nagato's ear as he continued to violate the redhead. "You find it enjoyable, don't you?"

Nagato's eyes squinted open, the pupils dilated with pleasure and pain. Loreddion smirked at the weak gaze. "Know this," he warned, piercing the merman with an intense glare. "I am your tormentor. When I feel it is deserved, I will punish you for the stupidity of your hopes and thoughts."

He released Nagato's hair, letting his head drop back to the staircase. With his teeth, Loreddion trailed down the merman's body, biting the flesh harshly. "Until you can speak truth from those lips, than you shall only utter screams," the sea witch murmured. He increased the speed of his tentacles, studying the erect member before his face. The hunger in his eyes returned tenfold, and Loreddion opened his mouth wide, ready to partake in this rare treat.

Nagato screamed silently as he felt Loreddion descend once more on his body, his erection disappearing past the sea witch's lips. He writhed within the tentacles' grasp as Loreddion continued to fuck him, the other's hot mouth devouring him whole. Everything was warm and silky on him; burning and wet within him. The merman thought he might die. A pressure was building within his gut that threatened to burst like a powder keg. Unable to voice his moans and screams, Nagato was subjected to the sounds of his own rape. Loreddion breathed sharply through his nose as he continued to swallow the redhead, the palm of his one hand roughly brushing the other's balls repeatedly. His tentacles made continuous splashes as they pulled out of the merman's passage with a vacuuming suck and into the water, before re-entering with a slightly erotic squelch. The sounds built and piled within Nagato's head, increasing the heat of his body until he thought he could take it no more. Arching sharply once again, he released one final unheard scream, hitting his climax,

Loreddion stayed as he was, drinking down the redhead's cum as if it were the best of any wine and he was a thirsty traveler. Nagato moaned piteously at the rough tongue lapping at his softening member, biting his lips and breaking the skin when the sea witch withdrew his tentacles. "Your punishment... has been... fulfilled," Loreddion panted when he was done, licking some leftover sticky fluid from his fingers.

"But," the other growled as he loomed back over the merman, "don't even think for a second that I am finished with you. We are bound in contract you and I. Expect my return." With a sneer, Loreddion turned away and dived beneath the surface, leaving poor Nagato to tremble and cry, defiled on the marble steps.

* * *

The glasses tinkled and forks scraped quietly against china plates, but Nagato did not eat. He stared down at his plate, stomach turning at the sight of the fresh eggs and spiced potatoes. Across from him, Nearra ate her own breakfast unperturbed. As she reached for her glass of water, she finally realized that the merman had not touched his food. "Nagato?," she asked. "...Is everything alright?"

The princess rose from her chair, coming around the table and cupping her friend's face. "You look terrible...," the blonde remarked. "Did you not sleep last night?" And indeed Nagato looked horrible. There were heavy bags under his bloodshot eyes, and his beautiful brown skin had become pale and waxy. When Nearra touched him, he visibly flinched and the poor girl did not know why.

"Are you afraid of coming out to sea with us?," she inquired. Nagato closed his eyes. Truthfully, in the events of last night he had forgotten about the wedding plans. Now he remembered the large entourage that was being assembled this very moment for Nearra's journey across the sea to the neighboring kingdom to meet the first of her candidates. The blonde's suggestion that he was afraid to go out onto the water was utterly ridiculous, but the alternative was telling her of the evil, vile deed done to him. He could not speak to her of that, so he nodded his head, agreeing to her feeble excuse.

Nearra accepted it wholeheartedly. She grabbed hold of his hands, lifting him to his feet. "I thought a walk through the gardens might be nice, but let us go to the library. I can see you need more of a distraction." Nagato nodded again, letting the princess lead him away.

But he doubted anything could take Loreddion from his mind.

* * *

After getting a daily report from Nagato for so long, it did not come to a surprise to him that there were large ships docking within distance of the palace. They were being prepared for the Royal family's voyage across the way for the engagement meeting. Being careful to avoid the bobbing vessels, he swam wide beneath their hulls, heading through the kelp and silt near the bottom without care. He rose higher as he got away from the heavily-loaded ships, making his way to the castle. The water was warmer in the cove, as it always had been when he visited. But it was not the temperature that he was thinking about. Staying below the surface still, he looked up at the winding, marble steps.

He was not surprised that there was nobody sitting there this night. Softly, he turned in the water, exiting the cove and traveling further along the palace's seaside walls. He didn't understand why he kept coming back here every night. Shame and anger threatened to overwhelm him and cause him to do something insane; but yet he returned, tormenting himself constantly. Coming to a stop, he started to rise a little out of the water. His hair billowed around him like a sheer curtain on the waves, his neck tilted back as he gazed up the tall walls. On this side, there was a balcony that overlooked the sea. It was the closest to Nagato's room.

As the merman had taken to doing the last few nights, he walked out of his room and headed for this balcony. He sat on the banister, fingers playing with the ends of his braids as he gazed forlornly over the sea. He wondered what went through the other's head. He wondered if his feet still ached as before, and what the merman was doing for the pain and blisters. Whatever action he had decided to take, Nagato certainly wasn't coming down to the cove any longer. He knew because he checked frequently throughout the day. From down below, he floated, watching as Nagato came out onto the balcony again that night, sitting in his regular spot and staring out into the night sky. He wished he could be closer to the merman, to see him smile again.

But he doubted such a thing would be on Nagato's face now. Anger, more so at himself, surged again. He thought he might explode with the ferocity of his anger. Sinking again beneath the waves, he was ready to spend the whole night through staring upwards at the sorrowful mermaid. Watching from a distance, just like he had always done...

* * *

When he slept, Nagato could not tear Loreddion from his mind, and he became victim again and again to the sea witch's cruel act. His defenses were weak when he was unconscious, and he recalled everything in sharp detail. The squeezing muscles pinning him down, the sharp teeth biting his flesh; swelling tentacles that pushed deep inside of him and touched a strange place that made the world fade in flashes of startling white. When he dreamed, he saw the other looming over him, that unholy sneer plastered on his face. Nagato found himself crying in his sleep, breaking from the nightmares to find that he was safe inside the palace. He took comfort in this small realization. Here, within the palace, he was safe from Loreddion.

But he didn't know if he wanted safety. He had become such good friends with the sea witch, that the reasons behind the sudden assault did not come to him, and the merman felt unsatisfied with his own speculations. He wanted answers, but he feared going back down to the water. He couldn't be sure that this time, Loreddion wouldn't simply drown him as he had threatened one time before. Walking into the cool night air, the merman glided to the balcony's edge. He gripped the banister tight, staring unseeingly at the far horizon. Where was Loreddion now? Sometimes, he wondered this. But mostly, he tried to block all ponderings of the sea witch out of his head.

If he thought too long about what had been done to him... to his dismay, he found himself becoming aroused...

_'Just a little longer,' _Nagato told himself. He only needed to last through the days, and focus his attentions on Nearra. Soon, she would remember him and then they could marry. Then, the merman would have his soul, and he'd be able to live with his beloved princess forever. Everything would be fine then. This trip to other kingdoms was nothing more than a test of his love, which he'd come out on top of. He knew he loved Nearra... and Nagato was adamant to let a betrayal like this keep him from the truth of his heart.

Slowly, dawn began to colour the edge of the world, and the merman rose to return to his room.

* * *

He was losing sleep. He swam around the edge of the castle, watching as the week passed and the ships got fuller. Soon they were stocked for the journey, and with flags and banners waving, the vessel's shoved off and headed out to sea. He swam right next to the hull, reaching out and touching the barnacled keel every once in a while. Once the sky got darker, he swam further out from the ship, looking for chances to watch Nagato. Under the silver light, the merman showed himself. Sometimes he paced back and forth across the deck, walking around the mast and visiting the sailor at the helm. Usually though he took up post by the rail, staring down into the black sea. What was he looking for? he always wondered. Did he hope to catch a glimpse of home?

No matter the case, he sank lower, praying that his hair would not catch Nagato's eye. He didn't want his presence known...

* * *

The fanfare was to be expected. Nagato clutched his glass daintily, sipping at the wine every once in a while. His eyes took in the extravagant ballroom and glistening chandeliers with quiet disdain, its floors covered in dressed-out courtiers. Earlier in the day, there had been parades and festivals celebrating the visiting princess' arrival; he was sure that he could hear some of the celebrations still happening outside. No, the large crowds and ridiculous parties wasn't what was upsetting him at this moment. It was Nearra's marriage candidate. His family explained that he was a devoted scholar and was away at the moment, finishing some business. He was not to be expected back at the palace for a few more days at the most.

Nagato tried not to frown, so he quickly drank from his glass again. If he had been in the prince's shoes, he would have quickly abandoned whatever project he was doing at the moment, and hastened back home. Nearra was someone who deserved to be put before everything else. She needed someone who would love her and treat her as if she was precious. So far, this prince was not creating a good impression in the merman's mind. At least, another part of him agreed, Nearra would not be pleased with her would-be suitor. Except, that was the thing. Instead of being insulted by the lack of her candidate's presence, Nearra was very calm and friendly with everyone she was meeting. She did not seem angered by the prince's absence. Laughing, the princess immediately joined in on the merriment, accepting the gracious invites to dance. Nagato watched her whirl onto the ballroom floor, and even though she danced with another man, he couldn't help but find her beautiful. The merman smiled thoughtfully to himself. The blonde was always beautiful. He would do anything to make her happy and be graced with that magnificent smile. Perhaps later, when the orchestra played the right song, he would dance for her again. He knew it pleased her the most when he danced.

The orchestra held its note unexpectedly, cutting off the music. The guests looked around bewildered, not knowing why the orchestra had stopped playing. A whisper broke out, and all heads turned toward the throne. There, dressed in fine silks of white and corn-flower blue, stood the prince. His face was a little flushed, but he kissed his mother and father's cheek gently, before turning to the court and waving. The heralds finally woke from their stupor and a trumpet fare sounded for the prince. The courtiers applauded. Nagato had to admit that the prince was handsome. His hair grew in gold curls, framing a lovely pale face that brightened the room with a dazzling smile. Before he had realized it, the prince had stepped down from the dais and was walking across the ballroom. Nagato watched with growing dread as the prince approached Nearra.

"It's you!," Nearra gasped, when the prince had stopped before her. Her face split with a blissful smile as tears of joy cascaded down her cheeks. "My dear angel, I remember you! I thought that I should never see you again."

_'No!' _Nagato cried._ 'He's not the one!' _The merman felt his world crumbling to dust. He was the one that had saved Nearra from drowning, and yet, she was pronouncing that this stranger was her angel? He wanted to storm over to the couple and tear the prince away from the princess. But, seeing her blushing face, Nagato felt himself sinking further into the crowd.

Taking her hands, the prince smiled back. "Yes, fair princess. I found you washed ashore. I was sad to see you go once you were well, but never had I expected that you should be my bride-to-be!," he exclaimed. "It seems that our situations played us for cruel mischief that day, deluding us that the one we loved was out of our reach. But the Gods have given us this chance to be together. And I would rather die than give your hand to anyone else..."

The court obligingly cooed at the confession, and even Nearra turned a lovely pink. Smiling, she leaned forward and kissed her prince's cheek. Putting his arm around her, he lead them out onto the dance floor, the orchestra picking up a slow waltz. Heart-broken, Nagato turned away from the revelers and slipped out of the ballroom.

* * *

Nagato wished that he had tears. He tried to approach Nearra about her marriage during the next few days of festivals, but the girl that had once been able to understand all his thoughts and feelings from simply glancing into his eyes, was no more. When Nearra talked, she could only speak of her prince, Adyn. She recalled the events of the days that had followed after the shipwreck, and how the prince had nursed her back to health. "He speaks so softly," Nearra told him, "Just as I know you would too. In nearly every way, he is like yourself. And yet... he is different. He is like a ray of light, warming me from the inside."

When she spoke like this, Nagato had to turn away. It hurt more to know Nearra was so blind to him, than to hear her talking about the prince. Forced into attending all events with her, the merman tried to look on the bright side of things. It was impossible. As each day passed, Adyn and Nearra grew more and more enamored with each other. The marriage drew closer, and Loreddion's voice echoed in Nagato's head, reminding him cruelly of the contract he had made with the sea witch. The morning after the ceremony, he would die. Like a sentenced man, resigned to his fate, Nagato followed Nearra into the chapel; sitting in the front pew as she was wed to the prince. A large party started up, leading its way back to Nearra's ship. Adyn was to come home with her for a few days so to get a glimpse of the kingdom that he would be ruling. The wedding party gathered under a large muslin tent that had been set up on deck, padded with giant, soft pillows for the guests to sit on.

The sailors danced about the deck, playing happy shanties for the bride and groom, and Nagato was achingly reminded of his sixteen birthday. That night, he had been drawn into the humans' dancing; his life had been changed from that moment on. As the fiddler struck up an enchanting tune, Nagato stepped out onto the floor. The sailors respectively drew back, and the crowd from Nearra's kingdom fell into eager silent. They were well aware of the merman's dancing, though the others had yet to see it. Nagato had been too heartbroken after the first ball to dance. Now, with the sunset painting the world gold- one of the last views he would ever see- the merman raised his arms and twirled. Immediately, sharp, stabbing pain erupted on the soles of his feet; but still he danced, through song after song until he had lost count and there was only the blinding pain, and the echoes of the crowd's cheers.

With a smile, Nearra thanked him for the beautiful dance, kissing him on the cheek as she bid him goodnight. He watched her go below deck to the shared cabin with her prince. Nagato limped to the rails, gazing over the black sea, waiting for dawn to come.

* * *

"You would give up that easily?"

Nagato turned angry eyes to the sea witch. Loreddion did not answer his question, and this made the merman angrier. His mouth moved in silent words of hate and sorrow, until the other could stand it no longer and cut the redhead off. "I tried to warn you...," Loreddion mumbled lowly. "It was unlikely that you would win her heart. Humans are selfish creatures... they never see that the best usually stands right before them."

Nagato sniffed, turning his head away. "I know that you wish to never see my face again. It won't matter much after tonight, will it?"

The merman's lower lip trembled, and his body began to shake. "I know already!," his tearless eyes cried. "I don't need you to tell me how silly I've been. I know already. Why can't you just leave me alone to my suffering?"

The water splashed, and Nagato opened his eyes in surprise. The waves had risen beneath the sea witch so that he could stand on equal ground with the redhead. "I came to offer you an escape," Loreddion answered. He pulled out a strand of silver hair, and it morphed into a small dagger in his palm. He held it out for the merman to take. "Take this dagger," he instructed. "Plunge it into the princess' heart, and let the blood wash upon your feet. The spilled blood of the one that resides in your heart will unbind the contract; you will receive your tail again and will not die when the sun rises."

Nagato struggled to breathe. He looked at Loreddion, not understanding. "I am not trying to make you betray her!," the sea witch growled. "She betrayed you first. Do you really want to die and fade away to nothing, because of one human's fickleness?"

The merman could not answer that. Loreddion cursed and looked away, but still his hand held out the dagger. "Break the contract...," Loreddion was mumbling. "And you might live another day to gain your soul."

Swallowing, Nagato took the dagger. He gripped it tightly with both hands, the blade's edge cutting into the skin of his palms._ 'I don't understand you... You've been helping me this entire time, but only when you felt like it. Never have you once suggested I that I give up and try to escape the terms. What purpose then would breaking the contract serve?'_

There was a strange expression on Loreddion's face that the merman couldn't place. With a sigh, the sea witch turned away and lowered himself back to the sea. "Don't ponder too long. Sun rise is only a few hours away..." Nagato watched him sink under the waves and out of sight.

Quietly, gripping the dagger in his fist, Nagato headed for the ship's hatch and down into the lower levels. Everything was silent, the whole crew sleeping for tomorrow they would disembark. Slipping into the princess' room, the merman tiptoed to the bed. She slumbered peacefully, wrapped in the arms of Adyn. How beautiful she was... No, Nagato chastised himself. He had to stay resolved. Gripping the dagger, the redhead brought the blade to a hover over the blonde's chest.

_Strike the heart of the one you love, who betrayed you, and her blood will break the contract..._

With a silent gasp, Nagato pulled the the knife away. It fell to the floor from his limp hand, where it returned to a strand of long, silver hair before hitting the ground. He raised a trembling hand to his mouth, looking down at his feet ashamed. He could not kill Nearra... even if it meant sparing his life. Besides, she was not the one...

The merman smiled as soul-tearing realization came over him, though he cried still inside. Leaning down, he brushed a kiss on Nearra's temple, before fleeing the room. No longer looking for stealth, the merman ran to the top deck, driving into the rail. He could see a small line of light touching the horizon. Shaking, he clambered onto the rail, spreading his arms wide open. Taking a deep breath, Nagato tipped forward and plunged into the water. The sea was frigid, stabbing him with millions of ice-tipped needles. It seemed to swallow him whole, weigh him down. The merman realized after a moment that he was drowning; the water crushing him.

"You fool!," Loreddion yelled, swimming up to his side. The sea witch reached out for him, but hesitated. His black eyes were colored with pain, and Nagato thought maybe it was because he regretted the things he had done to the merman. Nagato smiled painfully, reaching out for the other.

Loreddion noticed it, and he quickly grasped hold of the redhead's hand, his tentacles curling around him and gently pulling the merman closer. The sea witch held Nagato tight in his arms, face pressed against the other's neck. "Why...?," Loreddion choked. "Why didn't you use the dagger?"

"Because...," Nagato murmured, realizing a moment after that his voice had returned. "I... could not u-use... y-you..."

Loreddion raised his head, his eyes wide open with disbelief. The air was leaving Nagato fast, and so was consciousness. He could see the darkness closing in tighter along his vision. There was a soft touch on his forehead, then his lips. The merman's head ached as he made the connection that Loreddion was kissing him. Before he could respond, the shadows grew and finally encased him.

* * *

His eyes opened. It was a surprising notion. With a gentle groan, Nagato rolled over. He saw that he was still under the water, alive and breathing, but there was darkness all around him and it was chilly. The merman shifted to get away from the cold, and he realized one of two things: First, he had been laid in a bed of kelp and covered in a thick blanket of woven seaweed. Second, he could see that he no longer had legs, his red scales showing from under the blanket. With a strangled gasp, Nagato lurched up from the bed, touching his tail in disbelief. He stroked the scales, fingered his fins, smiling in ludicrous joy. How he had missed his tail! Nervously, the merman rose up in the water, testing his fins; not quite ready to believe that they were real. But they moved just as they had before and Nagato was overwhelmed with joy. He swam a couple laps around the room, then slowed down, noticing at last where he was.

Breathing sharply, Nagato turned about; he was in the Leviathan's corpse again. Anxious, the merman slowly swam from the room through the doorway near the top. He held his breath as once again he traveled through the Leviathan's bones, going from room to room, a wave of questions running through his head. He wondered why he was still alive, why his tail had returned. But mostly, he questioned what the sea witch's intentions were, and why he was tucked nicely within a bed inside of the Leviathan. The chambers were starting to become familiar. Nagato turned to the right in the next chamber, and found himself coming into the very room he had last stopped in before meeting the sea witch. The light was shining through the curtain of creepy kelp like last time, but its light was white not red. Curious, the merman waded into the passage. He could hear music... no, singing. Nagato paused in the doorway of the final chamber, peeking around the corner. The sea witch's lair was bathed in the white light; it came from the bowl sitting in the middle of the room on the floor. A bubble sat on the bowl's surface, the glow came from it and so did the song. Peering closer, Nagato felt his eyes shoot wide open with surprise.

That was him singing! Inside the bubble, he could see himself. He was younger, his hair and fins much shorter than they were at present. The fry-version of himself sat in a rocky alcove of the reef, hands distractedly brushing the sea urchins around him. It was obvious that he had recently been crying, because his voice cracked and pitched on a couple notes. Still, he sang beautiful, quiet and pure, of feelings and hope. Nagato closed his eyes and rested his head on the walls. He could still remember the words to that song. There was a shuffling of movement and opening his eyes, the merman finally noticed Loreddion. The sea witch lay huddled by the bowl, chin resting on his arms as he gazed into the bubble's image. His eyes were lidded and he breathed slowly, as if in a dream. The song was ending... Nagato watched as Loreddion opened his eyes, reaching out and touching the bubble. His long fingers stroked the hair of his child-like self, disrupting the image for a moment.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid...," Loreddion was mumbling. "He will not stay. No, of course not... He will return to the princess, or else the he will go back to the other merfolk. He won't stay..."

"W-who says I won't stay?," Nagato asked, rounding the corner. The sea witch swirled from his seat, spinning around and facing the merman. His eyes were wide open with shock, his fingers trembled at his sides. Cautiously, Nagato swam forward. He looked pointedly at the bowl, then to Loreddion. The other looked away when their eyes connected.

"Y-you were watching me...? Even then?"

Loreddion stiffened. "I-i saw...," Nagato added in a whisper. "You kept coming back after that night. A-always watching over me, following the ships... You didn't know that I saw you. But I saw you, from the water, watching me from afar."

Loreddion shifted a little in the water. He seemed eager to leave the room, but he stayed where he was. "All my life," the sea witch replied, after a moment. "I've watched you. I could never come close to you... My mother was bitter from betrayal. Her fingers had been cut off by the man she loved, and she had been thrown into the sea, left to drown. I was left with her. Mother wouldn't let me ever come near you. She didn't want me to fraternize with the merpeople. But I had to be close to you... since the day I heard you sing. Nothing had given me hope like your song did; nothing made me happier than to see your smile..."

"Why didn't you try to talk to me before?," the merman inquired. His heart was pounding like crazy now, and he waded a little closer to the other. Loreddion turned his head away, staring into the bowl. Nagato wished that Loreddion would face him again.

"Would you have accepted me at all? No, I think not," the sea witch sneered.

Nagato felt his lower lip tremble. Loreddion's words hurt. The sea witch started to turn away from him. The merman did the only thing he could: he reached out and grabbed hold of one of the fleeing tentacles. Instantly it curled around his fingers, the pucker suctioning to his wrist. Nagato found himself fascinated with the black limb. "_Let go_," came the snarl.

The redhead looked up startled, but he did not release the tentacle. Instead, he clasped it close to his chest. Loreddion looked stunned, and Nagato blushed himself. "I don't understand," the sea witch hissed, rubbing at his temples. He looked generally confused. "The contract was absolute. The princess didn't love you... you should have died. Unrequited love meant death."

"But...," Nagato whispered. He blinked up at the sea witch. "If I'm still alive, then... my love was returned."

"Yes, that's why she is up there, smooching with her prince charming," Loreddion taunted. But the merman did not rise to the bait. He stroked the tentacle in his hand, not noticing the gasp that it elicited from the other.

"Why do you always do that... Try to push me away? M-maybe I should have realized it a bit sooner, but at least, in the end I did. I opened my eyes to the truth. I love Nearra, yes," Nagato explained, "but only as I would love a sister. You said that I would not die as long as the one in my heart accepted me. Does that mean, you don't love me then?"

Loreddion straightened up. Nagato saw, for the first time that his eyes weren't as black as they seemed. The sea witch closed the distance between them, his free tentacles curling around the merman's tail. This time, he did not shudder at their touch. Blushing, Nagato couldn't help but to sing out the lyrics that the memory had been singing earlier. Loreddion smiled; it was small, but it made the merman's heart seize in his chest. The sight of that smile filled him with indescribable joy. The sea witch reached out and pulled Nagato tight against his chest. "I had hoped... but, I never thought...," Loreddion trailed off. The redhead took the chance to nuzzle into the other's neck, fingers twining through the silver hair.

"I love you, Loreddion," Nagato smiled.

"Will you stay?," came the response. Loreddion sounded just a little scared. The merman hugged the other tightly.

"Of course," he replied.

Again, Loreddion smiled. "Nagato," the sound of his name sent pleasant shivers up his spine, "I love you." Loreddion brought the merman closer, kissing him. It was like melting, warming him from top to bottom. Nagato smiled, kissing the sea witch back fervently.

"I think you should know," Loreddion whispered, once they pulled apart. He was still pressing kisses to the merman's forehead. "I was born a human. Lord Neptune granted us sanctuary when we were banished from the surface world; he gave us new bodies and homes. But he could not take back the gift bestowed on me by Lord Jupiter. My soul... is yours to share."

Nagato wiped at his eyes. He gave the sea witch a peck on the lips. "Thank you. But as long as I have you, I couldn't need anything more." Loreddion kissed him again.

"I never want to lose you again," the sea witch confessed.

"And I never want to leave your side," the merman replied.

* * *

This tale ends here; with sea witch and merman clasping hands. To say anything more would be unnecessary. Their love had been found and returned, a truly warming bit of peace. To the end of their days they would live, together and happy, a song on the merman's lips and a loving touch forming from the sea witch's bitter heart. Entwined, they found a place to belong. And in the final day, blessed by the Gods that had seen all- hand-in-hand- their hearts would transcend to the heavens; where they would love for an eternity more.

**

* * *

C.M.D: Geez... that was really long. But, enjoyable I hope. Interesting fact, for anyone interested in knowing. There are species of fish (more tropical than anything else) that are hermaphrodites, and will/can play female and male roles in copulation. As well, Octopus have a penis! Surprising, no? I thought it to be false too, but after some more research it's been proved true. It's called a hectocotylus, aka a gonopodium for other species of fish. The octopi have it as an additional tentacle, with a spoon-shaped end that they use to reach inside to the sperm sacs within their bodies; scoop out the sperm, and then inject it into the female octopus.**  
**Fascinating...**  
**Alright, so that's it for this fairytale. Be sure to review and tell me your thoughts~!**


	3. Beauty and the Beast

_**Beauty and the Beast**_  
_**~Redux~**_

_*HaseoxSilabus- .Hack/G.U*_

Times were changing. Mankind began to grow and branch out, learning of new lands and discovering all sorts of treasure in the sea and forests. New empires rose, and old kingdoms fell. Their ruins were left to rot, forgotten by the ever-changing world; their histories and once-prominent glories hidden deep in wide forests. The ruling of Kings and Queens was falling away, the people began to govern themselves. Fixed on this new motion, Mankind was forgetting the most important thing: the reasons why they feared the dark, and did not trespass on grounds they knew not of. The magic, and the Fair Folk; all were pushed aside as superstitions and childish dreams of the past. If only humanity knew not to ignore the dangers that still surrounded them...

* * *

The forest was dark, and a howling wind blew through the brittle trees. Shino wrapped up tighter in her cloak, trying to drive out the chill. She looked about her, down the dusty road she had come from, and the trail before her. Both winded off into darkness, no clear end in sight. The woman frowned slightly. She had hoped to be home by now, but she seemed to have taken a wrong turn. Her horse neighed nervously, and Shino patted its neck comfortingly. "Come Phillipe," she soothed. "We'll just head down this trail. There is sure to be some farm or cottage nearby. We can rest there for the night, and head for home in the morning."

The steed pawed the ground at her words, but shuffled forward all the same once his rider straightened up in her seat. Shino led her horse forward down the dark forest path, ignoring the ghastly trees and flickering shadows around her. As they headed further into the dark woods, Shino spoke quietly to Phillipe. "I had been so hopeful that the ship might have money plenty for us. It is sad indeed that the account fell through... I know Ovan will understand, but I fear the others won't take it quite as well," she confessed to the horse. "Haseo especially. He seems to be a tad restless these days. The chores around the farm don't seem to be enough for him, and the townsfolk grow anxious as well."

Phillipe snorted, trotting on. "Now, don't be like that," Shino kindly chastised the beast. "Haseo is a young spirit. He does his best, and he tries very hard to stay out of trouble. I know he'll be a little upset that no money was garnered from this voyage, but he will accept it soon enough; and he'll go back to working as hard as ever. He wants what's best for the whole family." The woman knew this in her heart to be true, despite the opinions of others. Once, her and Ovan, the heads of their motley little family, used to live well and fine in the larger city of Mac Anu. They were merchants: Shino, of clothe and jewelery; while Ovan was a man of information and research. A terrible harvest season put heavy taxes on all the people, and quite suddenly, Shino and Ovan found themselves out of a business. They had taken their meager savings, and bought a small farm house down the way, in a tiny little town next to the forest. Sakisaka and Tabby had gracefully accepted the transition, but Haseo was furious over the change in their life style. Truthfully, it had to be more so the people, who had once been great friends of Shino and Ovan, turning their backs on the couple in their poverty that really angered the youth. Haseo had seemed hopeful that Shino's voyage to Mac Anu would result in some receiving of their old fortunes back -but it had failed, along with many other plans.

Shino sighed. Phillipe twisted his head to look back at his master, and the woman could do nothing more than stroke the horse's brown tresses. "I wish I could offer them more, Phillipe," she whispered. "But that seems not to be the case. Simple farm life is our future, it would appear."

The horse seemed to nod his head in understanding. Smiling, the female merchant went back to studying her surroundings, trying to decipher where she was. She had taken this road many times before, so why then, did it seem that she was lost? The woods grew darker with each step, the cold becoming more than nippy, and the howling wind transforming into an angry roar. Shino shivered within her cloak, and even Phillipe seemed to be trembling. The beast cast his head about each way, ears flicking nervously at sounds that she could not hear. In the distance, wolves cried over the horrid wind, and Shino finally felt a finger of fear. "Come, Phillipe," she urged. "Let us get out of here quick."

The horse didn't need telling twice. He picked up his pace, carrying his rider deeper into the black forest. The howls seemed to get louder; and thunder rumbled in the sky above, that she could not see through the claw-like branches. Something in the darkness seemed to spook Phillipe; the beast reared up and gave a great whinny of fright, before bolting down the path. Shino cried out in alarm, wrapping her arms around the horse's thick neck, trying to hold on for dear life. The horse's hooves beat like hammers on the dirt path, before Phillipe suddenly pitched off to the left, breaking through the brambles and underbrush. "Phillipe!," Shino yelled. "Phillipe, stop!"

She knew she had to get the beast to stop running soon, or she would lose all trace of the trail, and become lost for sure. Ignoring the whipping branches that swooped low to hit her, Shino straightened up in her saddle, gripping the reins tightly and giving them a good, hard yank. Phillipe neighed sharply at the treatment, finally slowing down into a trot, and then a complete stop. Shivering, the merchant slid down from her saddle, walking around to face the horse. "Oh, Phillipe...," she sighed, her anger fading fast. She could not fault the horse for being terrified. She was starting to feel like such now. "Come on," she mumbled to the beast. "We need to head back to the trail, if we want to have any hope of returning home."

It was difficult, but she finally managed to get Phillipe to follow her. His hooves crushed the leaves and roots quite loudly in the darkness, and Shino even cringed at her own foot falls. Any predator could surely hear them for miles around. Pushing aside a bush of nettles, Shino stumbled into a clearing. Before her stunned eyes towered a large castle, standing between a craggy hill much taller in size, and the black forest all around. A wrought-iron fence at least six-men high bordered the castle's yard. And such a strange yard indeed. It was approaching harvest season just now, but the garden that Shino could glimpse beyond the fence was an unnatural phenomena. As if an invisible hand divided the garden, one part was lush and green with the birth of spring; whilst the other was deep in the throes of winter, the trees and bushes bony skeletons of their former selves. Phillipe snorted beside her and Shino turned to the beast. "How queer, is it not, Phillipe?," she asked the horse. "A touch of fairy magic, one might think. Perhaps they will be kind still, and offer us lodging for the night?"

Not waiting for the horse's opinion, she led them both around the perimeter of the fence, keeping a close eye out for the gates. But still, her attention kept being drawn back to the divided garden... Phillipe's nose tickled her chin, and snapping out of her thoughts, the merchant saw that they had finally come to the castle's gates. They swung open easily at her touch, granting entrance to her and her horse. Thinking nothing of the empty yard, Shino headed for the stables. They too were empty. Talking soothingly to Phillipe, she unsaddled the horse and brushed him down for the night, making sure he had fresh water and food before heading to the castle. The door's again were unlocked. Respectively, Shino knocked, but when no one answered after some time, she entered into the castle, pausing in the entry hall. "Hello?," she said. Her voice carried and echoed about the dark castle. "Is anybody here? I am quite lost and would humbly ask if the master of the house would be gracious enough to allow me to stay the night. My horse is in the stables already; in the morning I will be gone, to return to my own village."

Though she waited there patiently, nobody answered. Indeed, no sound could be heard, other than her calm breathing, and the sputtering of the candle, sitting on the lone table by the great big doors. Still unsure, Shino grabbed the candle, deciding she would explore a bit. Perhaps the master of the house was in a bit of trouble and needed help. Her wanderings led her down the great big hall, where she paused first to stare into a large foyer. It was dark, but with the light of her candle, she could make out the shapes of furniture and a large mantel against the left wall. Seeing no life here, the woman continued on to the next room. This one opened up into a giant dining room, and which, to Shino's surprise, was well lit with light. The candles in the chandeliers sparkled, and even the fireplace at the far end behind the master's chair, roared as if recently started. Seating had been set for one person, on Shino's closest right. Though she scored the entire room, there was no evidence of any one having been in the dining room; and no answer when she called again. Nervously, the merchant sat down in the chair, looking down at her settings. The cutlery seemed to be made of gold and gleamed brilliantly in the warm light; the goblet was of glass with a delicate silver stem. A rich, deep-coloured wine filled it, to which the aroma made Shino feel a little light-headed from. Hesitantly, she reached out and grabbed the handle of lid that covered her plate.

Steam wafted up from her plate as she set the cover aside; Shino felt her mouth water at the surprising dish. Beautiful slices of venison had been marinated and cooked in a hearty sauce, and delicate hand-picked vegetables -boiled- were placed tenderly underneath the meat. She tried not to sigh in bliss... Good meat and vegetables were hard to come by, unless one hunted or grew them for themselves. Such a dish was not one that the merchant had in a long time, since the failing of her business. Eager to dig in, but not wanting to offend her generous host, Shino politely sat waiting for the master to show. The candles in the chandeliers burned lower, and even the fire was becoming dim, by the time she decided that no one would be coming. Trying to not appear as famished as she felt, Shino started into her supper, which had grown quite cold during her waiting, but tasted delicious all the same. When she was finished, she properly set her utensils in their appropriate places, wiping at her mouth with her napkin and then leaving it folded neatly on the table for the servants to handle. When she left the dining room, there was now a line of candles leading off into the bowels of the castle. Too tired to question them or explore any further, Shino gladly followed the line of candles to another door, which led to the guest rooms. She stripped off her travel-worn clothes, and into the nightgown offered; climbing under the thick duvets, and slipping off to sleep very quickly.

The morning after, Shino woke feeling refreshed and energized for the journey ahead. She slipped out of bed, pushing aside the canopy screen. Beautiful morning sunlight filtered into the room through large bay windows that covered nearly every inch of the wall on her right hand side. Ignoring the steaming tub of water for the time being, Shino walked to the windows. They opened up into the garden of spring and winter; closest to her was the crystallized trees and snow-capped bushes. There was only a glimmer of the blossoming buds and green leaves of the garden's other half from her room. Still, the sparkling diamond of the snowfall in the morning light was beautiful, and Shino was hard-pressed not to admire the sight. Finally coming to attention, the merchant turned away from the windows, crossing back over to the other side of the room. A small door opened into another chamber, from where she had first glimpsed the tub of hot water. The floors were covered in marble, and even the walls were made of some type of light-coloured stone. Tables lined the walls; bowls and basins, and all sorts of perfumes and soap bottles sitting on their surfaces.

A clean change of clothes had been set out for her as well. Shino took off her night gown, setting it on another table, picking her choice of lotion and shampoo, before heading to the tub. The water was the perfect temperature as she slipped into it; for a moment, the woman let herself relax and enjoy the hot bath, the first she had since leaving Mac Anu's docks. Eventually, she got to washing, drying herself off with one of the fluffiest towels she had ever touched, and getting dressed in her new clothes. Again, a line of candles led her through the dark castle to the dining room, which had been set once more, for breakfast this time. Shino had herself a hearty meal of boiled eggs and thin slices of pork, with a glass of rich juice. She wondered if it came from the fruits of the eternal spring garden.

Phillipe stood waiting for her outside the castle doors when she exited, freshly brushed and saddled for the return journey home. Tied to the pommel of his saddle was a map; it directed her from the strange castle all the way to her cottage. "Dear Lord," Shino declared loudly, turning around to face the towering castle, "I must thank you a million times. You have been very kind to a poor peddler such as myself; offering me shelter, and feeding my horse and I. I hope that one day, should I have the chance, I can repay you the favor you have shown me."

"Farewell now, milord," the woman finished. "My family awaits my return."

Patting Phillipe's flanks, Shino mounted the horse and grabbed sure hold of the reins. She directed him out of the gates, and around the perimeter of the fence. A trail would open up soon, her map said, which would lead her to the main road home. As the horse walked forward, Shino found herself looking back to the castle. The dark palace was getting farther away with each step, but the garden was growing larger and closer all the while. Turning along the bend, the merchant found now that the spring-time garden grew a few of its branches past the safety of the fence. Delicate white roses bloomed along these over-hanging limbs. "Perhaps... I will take but one," Shino whispered thoughtfully to Phillipe. "A gift for young Haseo. He will find it hard to believe that I have seen a garden of winter and spring, side by side, but this will surely get him to see."

And she reached up with one hand, and plucked the largest and fairest of the roses.

A great ghastly cry filled the air, shaking birds from their trees and causing the ground to quake. Phillipe whinnied in panic and terror, and took off like a bolt of lightning, crashing through the underbrush once again. Shino did not bother to stop the horse, clutching tightly to the beast's mane with one hand. She too felt the great urgency to be as far away from the castle as was possible at that moment. Her heart thundered like the horse's hooves, until she thought she could well near swallow it in her fright. In her other hand, pressed tight to her breast, was the pretty white rose.

* * *

Haseo was the first one to see Phillipe. He was up on the hill, picking some apples from the hunched tree on their property. It was the only thing he could do without stressing out. It had been near two weeks since Shino had left for Mac Anu. Ovan had been gone for some time now, and was not able to accompany the woman to the city. Haseo had suggested to go with her himself, but as always, she brushed him off, saying that his duties were to the farm and the others. Only because he cared for Shino, did the teen stay behind. But he had grown more worried as the days went by. When he saw Phillipe down the road, his heart soared in his chest. Finally, Shino had returned home!

Smiling, he ran down the hill, pushing past Sakisaka, who was cleaning the chicken coop at the moment. The teen went down hard, his glasses getting dislodged in the process. "Haseo, why are you running?," came Tabby's loud whine. She stood in the doorway of the farmhouse, a basket of freshly washed clothes in her hands.

"It's Shino!," the silver-haired teen yelled back. "Shino is back!"

"Shino! Oh, wait for me Haseo."

Haseo did not even bother slowing his stride. In fact, he increased his pace, running down the sloping hill at a dangerous speed. He hit the bottom with a jolt that zapped all the way up through his ankles and to his knees, staggering only for a moment, before he pushed himself faster. His chest heaved with the exertion, but nothing cut through the wild soaring of his heart. Shino had truly returned! No longer would he have to worry about the woman's safety, now that she would be safe and sound back at the farm. As he got closer, Haseo started to notice that Phillipe was trotting along the road slowly. The youth thought little of it. 'The beast's probably just tired from the journey. Nothing that a long rest won't fix.'

It wasn't until he saw the limp hand dangling alongside the saddle, did Haseo notice anything else. "Shino!," he cried again, this time in panic. With a new burst of strength, the teen closed the last of the distance between himself and the horse. Phillipe tossed his head about as Haseo pulled up beside him, but did not fight when the male grabbed hold of the reins. Ignoring the anxious horse, Haseo raised a trembling hand and touched the merchant's shoulder. Shino groaned a little at the contact. "...H-haseo...?," she mumbled weakly.

"It's alright, Shino. I'm here." Without giving it second thought, Haseo pulled the woman down off the horse, cradling her as he lowered her leaden body to the ground. His eyes shot open with horror when he took in the black taint that spread across Shino's skin, crawling up her neck and chin, and stretching down her chest. "W-what happened...?," he choked. He could feel the tears coming and did not think he could stop them.

Shino hissed in pain and Haseo watched as the black shadows grew and covered another inch of the woman's skin. "I-i... o-only wanted... f-for yo-you...," Shino mumbled weakly. She was trying to lift her left arm, but it shook and trembled too much, and she quickly dropped it back down at her side. Glancing at the limb, Haseo saw that a white rose was enclosed in Shino's fist.

"I-i don't understand!," Haseo yelled. "Shino, I-i-i don't understand!"

The merchant took a shuddering breath, opening her eyes and gazing up at the teen. A small, apologetic smile lighted her lips, before her eyes slipped close once more and her head lolled on her neck. Haseo screamed Shino's name over and over again, but she would not wake. The afternoon sun burned away, watching as a little family of five mourned their dearly beloved Shino.

* * *

"This is all your fault!"

Ovan ignored the screams and accusations, studying Shino's comatose form. He had come home not too long ago to this gloom. The three young teens in his care were in different states of depression and fear, huddled around Shino's bed where they had set the unresponsive woman after finding her down the road. He did not how to feel... If it were not for the black taint that spread across her body, it would seem as if Shino was simply sleeping. Haseo was screaming something at his back again, and hearing Tabby whimper in the corner, Ovan finally decided to intervene. "Haseo, how does blaming others benefit anyone?"

The teen hunched his shoulders, his red eyes spitting hatred at the man. "I'm not merely blaming others!," he growled. "If you had been here, than Shino wouldn't have had to go to Mac Anu alone. She wouldn't have faced whatever it was that did that to her, alone. She would have been safe!"

"Haseo...," Ovan sighed. "Try to be reasonable. In what way could my presence have offered her any safety? Indeed, the thing that did this to Shino might very well have done the same to me. And then, there would be two of us cursed by this strange affliction."

"Stop with your stupid lies!"

"Haseo...," Tabby begged. The girl sounded very close to tears. The teen snarled at the her, and she squeaked in fright.

"Stop it Haseo," Ovan ordered.

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!," the teen raged, turning his full attention back to the man. "You aren't doing anything to help Shino! Nothing at all!"

"Haseo, how is he supposed to help when he doesn't know what happened?," Tabby cried. "None of us know, and we all want to help Shino very much!"

Haseo screamed, and the terrified girl ran from the room crying. Sakisaka, who had remained quiet in the opposite corner of the room, took this chance to leave as well. He could be heard following after Tabby. Huffing angrily, Haseo faced Ovan for a third time. "You were the best dealer in information and old texts! Don't sit there and feed me the same bullshit as the others. You have to know something about Shino and how to cure her!"

Nothing he was going to say would get through to the teen. Ovan sighed, straightening his glasses. "Haseo..." But he was interrupted again as the youth screamed his fury, shoving the man aside. Ovan fell to the floor with a thud, and Haseo took that moment to grab the map and flower off the nightstand by Shino's bed.

"If you won't do anything, then I will! I'll help cure Shino and I won't need anybody to do it either!" Not waiting for the man to get to his feet, Haseo stormed from the room. He ran to the entry hall, yanking down his cloak and slamming out the front door. He headed for the miserable little barn behind the house, intent on grabbing Phillipe. But the horse reared in terror when Haseo marched into the barn, and the teen knew the beast to be too skittish to take with him. "Dumb animal," Haseo growled. "Fine then! Be like the rest of them. I don't need your help either!"

He snatched up Shino's traveling pack from where it had been thrown by the barn door earlier that day, slinging it over his back. "Don't wait up for me," he barked in cruel humor. With the setting sun at his back, Haseo ran down the hill and away from the farm house, heading straight for the forest on the other side of the village. When he was in the shade of the trees, he unfurled the map that was crushed in his fist, squinting in the growing darkness to try and make out the squiggly lines. This map had been packed with Shino's things. Nobody had seen it before, and it only went as far as some destination deep within the trees. Haseo had his suspicions about the map, and he knew that if he wanted any answers, he would have to investigate this place first. "Just wait Shino... I'll have you back to your normal self in no time."

* * *

A hunched form sat before a large oval mirror in the dark of a dirty, dilapidated room. The mirror's glass was the only thing that was clean, but it's surface was in no way clear. Instead of casting his reflection, a dim light shone from the mirror, its surface a milky white that constantly swirled and pulsed within the metal frame. Hesitantly, the individual raised a hand- no, hand would be inappropriate. This hand resembled that of a beast. Five fingers and the palm were covered in dark, brown fur; black, slender claws growing in place of nails. The creature seemed to pet at something within the mirror that only they could see, a low, sorrowful whine escaping their lips. They did this for several minutes, before bunching a filthy, green cloak tighter around their shoulders; walking away from the mirror and back into the shadows.

* * *

Haseo gripped his cloak tight about him, glaring up at the castle that loomed before him. The map had led him all the way here; it went no further than this place. This castle must of have been the last place Shino had stopped at before returning home. Something inside had cursed Shino and made her fall into a deathly sleep. "I'll make it pay," Haseo vowed lowly. "Whatever damn beast it was, it'll pay for everything that it did to Shino."

Tossing the useless map aside, Haseo stalked around the iron-wrought fence, trying to find the entrance. He needed to get inside. He needed to find the person responsible for Shino's comatose state. He still clenched the white rose in his fist, not yet understanding the significance of it, but not willing to relinquish the bloom. To his surprise, as the teen rounded a bend, and the forest's own branches gave way to the castle's garden, he saw millions of the white roses in bloom. A beautiful garden lay beyond the iron fence, lavish with newly budded flowers and other plants, as if spring had just come. Haseo had to stop and firmly shake his head, reminding himself that it was nearing fall. Ignoring the strange garden, he continued his trek, but had to stop once again as more of the garden came into view. His disbelieving eyes fell on the snow-capped bushes and trees, glancing from the winter wasteland to the vibrant greenery beside it. As the initial shock wore off, Haseo took once more to glaring.

The sight of the unnatural garden made something uncomfortable slither in his gut, and he knew that this was the right place. Whatever strange magic forced this garden into creation was the same force that had put Shino into her wakeless sleep. Hunching his shoulders, Haseo marched the rest of the distance around the fence, not letting himself be distracted by any more oddities. Fortunately, there were none. The gates, when he got to them, were already open. The cobbled driveway leading up the dark castle was eerily empty and silent. Not even a breeze stirred within the encompassed territory. Again, Haseo drew his cloak tight around him. He stared up at the big, imposing castle defiantly, secretly daring it to cast its same evil spell on him as it did Shino. But nothing happened, and so, the teen took the first step past the gates.

The castle doors slid open soundlessly, and Haseo quirked an eyebrow at this. Old castles usually gained rust and decay in specific places, especially when unattended. This castle seemed too well taken care of to simply be empty. So where then, were all the servants? A howling wind suddenly tore through the castle, blowing at Haseo. The teen kept a firm grip on the doors, refusing to be pushed about by a simple breeze. It was as if the castle was trying to make certain that he didn't come in. "Nice try," Haseo sneered. He shoved himself forward and into the darkness of the castle. The doors swung shut behind him immediately, surprising the teen.

He spun around, grabbing the handle, but the doors would not budge. Screaming uselessly, he kicked and punched the wood, gaining nothing more than bruised flesh for his efforts. "You should have not come inside...," a weak voice whispered out.

"Who's there?," Haseo demanded, turning around. He could see nothing in the darkness, not even his hands before him. As if someone could read his thoughts, candles flickered to life all along the hallway, further and further into the castle. His eyes filled with spots from the sudden brightness, blinding him momentarily. "Where are you?," he screamed.

Things were beginning to come back into focus now. Haseo ignored all the grandeur that was visible to his eyes, trying to locate the voice. Upstairs, on a balcony that jutted out from a tiny alcove on one of the staircases, hunched a figure. They were draped in a large, green cloak, that had become tattered and frayed around the edges. They lingered in the shadows, as if they didn't want to be seen. Growling low in his throat, Haseo stepped away from the doors. "Come down here coward! Face me like a man!"

"I tried to make sure you wouldn't come... why didn't you turn away?," the stranger whispered remorsefully.

"You cursed Shino! Your black magic put her into an unnatural slumber. You will undo your spell now, or I'll kill you!," Haseo yelled. He was making his way down the hall, ready to break into a run when he came across the nearest staircase. The stranger on the balcony turned his head, keeping an eye on the teen.

"I'm sorry," the being apologized. "You really shouldn't have come... Indeed, I wish your fair maiden hadn't picked that bloom. She might have been able to escape, if she hadn't touched anything from the garden. I am sorry that you became wrapped up in this as well..."

Haseo finally managed to find the staircase. He stormed up it, breathing heavily. He was closing in on the stranger; if only he could keep him talking. He'd be easier to pinpoint that way. "What bullshit are you talking about now?," he yelled, taking the steps three at a time. "How dare you blame Shino for the curse you put on her!"

"You're not listening to me...," the cloaked figure's voice rang out along the empty corridors. Haseo jogged down the hallways, rounding corners faster than he could manage and tripping at some of the turns. "I did not put the curse on her. It is this place; the magic comes from the castle, not me. You were drawn into the web of magic when the kind maiden uttered your name. She picked the flower for you."

Haseo turned the last corner, gazing up a long, winding staircase. He could see an extra beam of light shining through the alcove and onto the steps. He was in the right place then. Smirking with his approaching victory, Haseo tore up the staircase, adrenaline rushing through his veins. He reached down to the dagger slipped into his belt, gripping the hilt tightly. With one last burst of speed, he whirled onto the balcony, drawing up to a sudden stop. Bewildered, Haseo looked about. The balcony was empty, but he had not seen the cloaked man leave yet, nor had anyone passed him in the hallways down stairs.

Sniffing in disdain, the teen turned away from the balcony, dagger clenched tightly in his fist. "I'm sorry...," the soft voice echoed through the castle. "The magic heard your name, and now you are involved... Now, you can never leave."

The candles dimmed; and slowly, one by one, spluttered out.

* * *

The castle was like a maze. Haseo thought he had surely scored every part of it by now, but when he wasn't expecting it, he'd come across a room or a hallway that he was sure hadn't been there before. Constantly it seemed, all windows looked out into the garden, but there were no doors leading out into it. In fact, what the cloaked figure said seemed true: there was no leaving the castle. The teen had looked and looked, but never could find any other doors except the ones he had come through, and they were tightly bolted shut. The windows would not break, no matter how many times he tried to smash the glass. And everything else that he damaged in the process seemed to fix itself through the night, so that it was whole come morning. Though there were plenty of sconces and chandeliers through the castle, light only appeared where he was being ordered to go: to his room, to the dining room, to name a few examples. Other than that, darkness resided throughout the rest of the house, making the passage of time seem none existent. Haseo had to carefully chart the rise and fall of the sun from his room, or else he would not have known how long he had already been trapped within this evil place.

"Two months...," Haseo growled. He currently sat at the dining room table, a plate of eggs and spiced potatoes before him. Furiously, he jumped to his feet, knocking his dishes to the floor with one quick swipe. They crashed into a thousand pieces, the cutlery ringing from the impact and the food going to waste. "How long do you plan to keep me here!," the teen roared out. His voice doubled inside the large dining room.

No response came.

After the first night, Haseo had not seen even a glimpse of the castle's master. He had tried to search for them, when he finally came to the realization that he wasn't getting out by his own means; but the twisting, dark halls of the castle never took him anywhere. "I will find a way out!," he yelled again to the empty room. "You can't keep me prisoner. I will escape, and when I do, I'll make sure I bring an army back. We'll burn this place to the ground, and I'll personally gut you, monster!"

As usual, silence reigned after his ringing words died out. Scowling, Haseo turned away from the table and stormed from the room. He would return to walking the halls and stairways of the castle, searching, as he always did.

* * *

Haseo sat up in bed. He rubbed at his eyes, feeling dazed. Moonlight peeked out from around the curtains of his room; it was still night. For a moment, the teen did not understand why he was awake. Then he heard something, and he straightened up in bed, fully alert. The nearly inaudible noise died out, before picking up again a few moments later. Haseo silently slipped from the bed, grabbing his dagger from his pile of clothes, tip-toeing to the door. He unlatched it slowly, holding his breath as he swung the door open wide enough that he could slip through the crack. The sound faded again, whispering back into existence a few moments later. Haseo followed it down the castle's long hallways, stepping deeper into the shadows so as not to be seen. The dagger was tucked tight against his side, waiting to slice into any unsuspecting creature.

He turned into a hallway he could not remember coming across beforehand, studying the furniture and paintings in an attempt to commit them to memory. Unlike the other places he had seen thus far, this hallway was black with filth. The furniture was covered in a thick coat of dust and shawls of spiderwebs, the people in the paintings unrecognizable through the grime smeared across their canvases. The paint peeled on the walls, the rug was worn thin in many places; and deep, long gouges could be seen in the plaster and wood, of walls and furniture alike. At the end of the hall, flimsy, shredded curtains barely covered a doorway. A thin, wiry staircase twisted up into the darkness just beyond the the frame. He could hear it now; the very faint tell-tale sounds of someone weeping.

Haseo crept up the hall, pulling his dagger out in front of himself. His heart beat calmly in his chest, though his read run rampant with uncontrolled thoughts. Who was it that was crying in the middle of the night? The teen had his suspicions, but he knew that nothing would come of it until he saw first-handed what waited at the top of the stairs. He was approaching the doorway now. Haseo stood up straight, coming out from his crouch. There was nothing to fear, after all, there was nobody else here. Or at least, that's what he thought.

Haseo stopped dead in his tracks, the color draining from his face. The dagger almost fell out of his limp hand, but he gripped it tightly as he shuffled back a few steps. A figure stood in the doorway, their back turned to the teen. It looked like a young boy, but his portly body was barely visible. Like mist, he kept coalescing and disintegrating in the shafts of moonlight pouring down through the stairwell. Slowly, as if finally realizing that Haseo was there, the head turned. Big, pained orbs landed on the teen. Haseo felt his heart thunder in his chest, pulsing so loudly that its beat was like a scream on the inside of his skull. The specter opened its mouth, reaching out with its faded, pale fingers. Swallowing the scream that threatened to rise, Haseo spun around and tore back down the hall. He ran and ran and ran, all the way back to his room, bolting the door in fright. There he stayed, lighting all his candles, expecting ghouls and wraiths to come oozing out of the walls at any moment. He only returned to sleep when exhaustion overwhelmed him and the darkness swallowed him whole.

* * *

When you start seeing things that you hadn't previously, one usually questions how they could have been so blind before. More specifically, they wonder how they could have lived their lives up until that very moment, not being aware of the world around them. Haseo found himself very much in that situation. Filled with such anger and indignation, he had not bothered to question how the castle kept itself mostly clean, or how all his meals came prepared and hot. Now though, he had an idea. The teen was able to catch glimpses now of the ghostly boy he had seen that night in the doorway; always the specter wandered the halls, doing little chores here and there, or watching Haseo when he thought the older boy wasn't looking. Though Haseo could see no others, he didn't doubt that the seemingly empty halls were riddled with more ghosts. Probably all watching him the same.

"Why are you here?"

The ghost boy turned slowly to face the teen, his big eyes blinking in bewilderment. Haseo stood his ground, refusing to run away in terror. The specter still spooked him, but he was on a mission. He could not afford to lose himself in fear while Shino wasted away in her enchanted sleep. The best he could think of at this moment though, was to approach the ghost boy and see if he could get any answers from him.

"Did he do this to you?," Haseo asked. "Is that man steeped in that much evil?"

Surprisingly, the ghost boy shook his head, his expression panicked. He looked about him, gnawing on his lip. When he looked back up at Haseo, he seemed torn. His mouth opened and closed several times, but finally, the plump child just closed it, shaking his head yet again. He faded away into thin air, and Haseo, trying to stop him only closed his fist on empty air.

Haseo was going to have to rethink his plans.

* * *

When Haseo next approached the ghost, he asked him this question, "What keeps you here?"

Again, the boy seemed surprised by the teen's forwardness, and looked on nervously. But, instead of disappearing, the ghost reached out and gripped Haseo's hand. Haseo shivered; the child's touch was like ice, running cold through his veins. But he did not pull away, letting the ghost lead him off down the dark, twisting halls of the castle. Several times, they passed dirty, dilapidated rooms. Haseo wondered why these areas had fallen into such disrepair. the ghost began to slow down, pulling the older boy along at a snail's pace. They were approaching a door...

The specter stopped, looking up at Haseo, with one hand touching the door. His mouth moved, but no words came out. The teen tried to lean closer, but even so, he could hear nothing. "I can't hear you!," Haseo hissed in exasperation. The boy blinked in surprise, before smiling sadly. He turned away, and opened the door quietly. Wondering what lay beyond, Haseo peered over the boy's shoulder. He growled when he caught sight of the green-cloaked figure.

Haseo tried to rush into the room, hands already dropping to his dagger, but the ghost became like a wall, blocking him from charging into the room. "Get out of my way!" With a strangled gasp, the stranger spun around at the shout. Haseo ceased struggling against the boy, his jaw dropping open. "No...," he mumbled, "...not possible. That's not possible!"

Shaking his head in disbelief, Haseo looked from the ghost boy, to the master of the house. He took in the fur-covered face, with its muzzle and mouth of sharp, canine teeth; all the way down to the paw-like hands that gripped at the fabric of his ratty cloak, trying to recover himself from the teen's prying eyes. Haseo took a step back. "I can't believe it... That's not right!"

Without waiting for a response, he turned around and ran away from the room.

* * *

For three days, Haseo was left in peace. But on the fourth morning, he was rejoined by the spirit of the plump boy. "Go away...," Haseo growled, when the ghost materialized next to him. He was reclining in the foyer, stretched out on the plump couch. The boy cocked his head curiously, but did not obey the teen. "You lied to me... Turning around and showing me that monster. Well, it won't change my feelings!," Haseo yelled at the specter. "I don't care if he's cursed himself. He's still responsible!"

"Leave him alone, please," a quiet voice whispered. "He has done nothing wrong."

The master of the house, the beast, stepped into the light of the room. Where as before he wore his hood pulled up, he had it down now. The ghost, who had been shaking at the teen's cruel words, calmed down somewhat in the presence of the monster. The beast smiled toothily at the boy, before turning his attention back to the glaring male. "I apologize again," the beast said. "I will apologize a thousand times if need be, though I know it would do nothing to quell your hatred or your anxiety."

"If you know all this, why don't you leave then," Haseo replied lowly.

The beast bowed his head, turning around. "As you wish then. I shall leave you be." And as he said, the monster left, the ghost child at his heels.

* * *

Haseo sat up in his bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He could hear the weeping whispering down the hallways of the castle, ringing through the darkness and into his head. Waking up, he stared through the windows out into the strange, moonlit garden. This was one of many nights that he had been woken by the near-silent crying. He wondered who could have been making such a sad sound... but, if he really thought about it, he would of known the answer.

After all, there were only so many people within the castle...

* * *

He found the library. He wasn't aware that there was such a thing until he walked into the large circular room, staring up at the towering bookshelves that reached all the way up to the domed ceiling. Walkways circled each of the bookshelves, several meters apart, so that there was different levels of landings before the shelves. They provided secure access to the books. And there were a million books, for every bookshelf. There appeared to be no leftover space. Plush sofas were spread out all over the ground floor, a few lacquered desks set about between the area. Giant windows, nearly the same size as the towering walls, were set in any free space between the bookshelves. That meant there was only two of them, but they were so wide and tall that they filled the room up with plenty of light.

On one of the walkways, at three levels above the ground, was the beast. He still wore the filthy, green cloak, pacing back and forth in front of the shelf. He was facing the books, and it seemed as if he was contemplating what book he would read. The ghost shimmered into existence beside Haseo, smiling up at the teen. "...hi...," Haseo greeted belatedly. The beast up on the walkway turned around at his whispered words, a tome in his hands.

"Hello," his words rang out across the library's vast space, loud and clear, despite the gentle way he said them. "I hope you are well."

Haseo scowled, walking further into the library. "Big place you got here...," he commented, still studying the room. There was a lot to take in. The beast headed for the nearest stairs, coming down the walkway and back onto the main floor. Haseo stiffened as the monster's claws clicked off the floor as he crossed the room. The beast seemed to notice this, so he paused halfway across the room, and neatly settled down onto one of the sofas. The ghost boy faded away, and then reappeared beside the beast.

"He is my friend," the monster said, his attention on the open book in his hands. He looked up at teen, his muzzle pulled into a strange smile. "Fear not, I can not read your thoughts. But the question was easy to tell from your expression. Curiosity is perhaps our greatest weakness."

Haseo sniffed, turning his head away. "You don't have to leave," the beast said. "The library is open to all."

The teen looked back over his shoulder. "Why would I want to stay in yet another room? It only reminds me further that I am a prisoner."

The beast had the decency to bow his head in shame. The ghost beside him looked between the two, torn. For a second, Haseo felt sick to his stomach. But it quickly passed and he left the room without a second glance.

* * *

"Good evening," the beast said, when Haseo came into the dining room one evening for dinner. The teen blinked in surprise, shocked by the creature's presence. He quickly got over that though, and was scowling again.

"Why are you here?," he demanded.

"You scowl often," the beast avoided the teen's question, smiling his weird smile again. "I must say, it is unbecoming of one so young." He sounded amused as he said this, but Haseo did not share his opinion.

"Why are you here?," he repeated.

The beast's smile fell, and he looked up at somberly. Not really caring what the creature thought, Haseo circled the room, taking his seat far across the room from the beast. The beast did nothing to this action, picking at his tattered cloak with his claws. While Haseo sat down to eat, the monster stayed where he was. Haseo did not bother asking if the other would sit down; he was, after all, the master of the house. If he didn't sit, then he didn't sit. It was no skin off of Haseo's nose. As he was finishing his meal, some several minutes later, the beast finally spoke up again. "I know...," he started, not looking up from his feet," ...that you do not like it here; I am aware you hate me. But, perhaps I can make the days seem shorter. There are many things we might-"

"Forget it," Haseo interrupted bluntly. "You're crazy if you think I'm doing anything with you."

The beast fell silent. He was still staring at his feet when Haseo got up and headed for his bedroom.

* * *

Though the beast did not invite Haseo to join him in anymore activities, the ghost boy did drag the teen around the castle, making him participate in all sorts of things. Always, out of the corner of his eye, Haseo could see the creature watching them. He lingered in the shadows, his amber eyes glued to the pair. He seemed to desperately want to join them, but he never imposed. Haseo could not understand it. With the plump boy's guidance, the teen became familiar with nearly every aspect of the castle. The only rooms he didn't see were the dirty rooms. For some reason... the ghost did not want him to show those rooms. To calm his growing impatience, the specter did show him a way into the gardens. For a while, this did give Haseo hope. Until he realized that he couldn't actually circle around the yard to the front gates. He was quick to come down from his euphoric high.

But, the fresh air was a nice change of pace, despite the fact that the teen felt even more disturbed in the unnatural garden. One day, out of his hundred days there, Haseo finally saw the beast in a place outside of the castle. He was heading back into the castle for lunch, when something caught his eye. A flash of green among the white landscape of the second half of the garden. Turning in the doorway, Haseo stretched out to peer into the winter side. Almost huddled behind the snow dunes, the beast walked about, his paws gently touching the skeleton trees and brushing extra snowflakes off the bushes. The teen watched him a little longer, noticing that the monster did not stray anywhere near the spring-time half. Puzzled by this, Haseo continued inside.

* * *

Haseo woke once again to the weeping. He sighed as the near inaudible sound pulled him from his sleep, sitting up in bed and stretching out the kinks in his back. Preparing to sit and listen to the crying for a while, the teen was surprised when it became suddenly quiet. He waited, but the sound did not start up again. Frowning in confusion, Haseo got up out of bed, doing up the buttons of his nightshirt. His dagger sat on the table by his bed, but he left it where it lay- he had not carried it with him for a couple months now. Opening his door, Haseo headed off down the halls, trying to recall the ones he was allowed to wander, and the ones he had been denied permission to roam. The crying had originated from one of those areas...

Eventually, he started recognizing the hallways. Counting his steps, Haseo turned a left, and then two rights, coming to the same black hallway that he come to the first night he wandered. Nothing had changed, except perhaps the dust was thicker and the spiders had woven more webs. The silence was like a heavy weight around his throat, choking him. Haseo swallowed, staring down the filthy corridor for a moment, before taking the first step. The dirt muffled his footsteps, causing little puffs to rise. He noticed that his footprints weren't the only set here. A small wind blew down the tower that the rickety staircase whirled up into, silent all the same. Slowly, Haseo ascended the stairs.

Up and up, he went, coming onto a landing. There was only one door, twisted off its hinges and lying crooked in the frame. Moonlight poured out into the hallway. Haseo tip-toed up to doorway, peering in through the ajar door. There was not much to be seen; this room was in a state of even more disrepair than the hallway downstairs. Curtains had been slashed down from the tiny, square window set in the small room's wall and obscure junk lay along the walls. The space seemed cramp with all the garbage it had inside it, yet, to his surprise, Haseo could see the faint outline of a person. They were sleeping out of the light of the moon, so that only a part was visible to his eyes. A pair of beautiful legs were the only thing in his view, a couple slender fingers fisting handfuls of black fur. The teen felt his throat go dry, heat creeping up his neck. Who could this maiden be? Why was she crying? Haseo shifted, intending to inch closer and with luck, enter the room when another sound froze him in place.

A low murmur could be made out, the whisper of the beast that ruled this castle, and Haseo searched wildly for the monster's form. But there seemed to be nothing else in the room. Slow sobs were starting up now; Haseo was spooked still from the invisible beast's whispering that he pulled away from the door despite the weeping individual, forcing himself not to run down the stairs as he retreated once more. It would be another night he would stay awake, thoughts running rampant in his bewildered mind.

* * *

Haseo walked up behind the beast. Again, the monster was in the library, seated on a couch with a book in his hands. This room seemed to be his favourite. Without saying a word, the teen sat down on the other side of the couch, lounging back on the cushions. The beast stiffened, but did not say anything to the intrusion. "Your friend wants to play again," Haseo started.

The beast looked at the teen from under his lashes. "Do you grow tired of games?," the creature hesitantly asked. Haseo did not answer straight away, shrugging after a few moments. The beast stared down at his book, sneaking glances up at the younger male, before sighing. "If it bothers you, you can decline. Gaspard will not be offended," he whispered.

"So he has a name?," Haseo replied, slightly surprised. "And do you have one as well?" The monster shifted in his seat, his lips pulled in a slight frown.

"Why are you talking to me?," he asked instead.

Haseo turned his head and stared fully at the creature. Why was he talking to the beast? Well, Haseo didn't really have much of a reason to be striking up friendly conversation. But it was the monster that had first been trying to get close to the teen, so why then, shouldn't he return the favor? The silver-haired youth kept his face devoid of emotion, turning his gaze to the rest of the library. "I am a prisoner... I think perhaps it would be smart to know my jailer."

The beast leapt to his feet. "Good sir, I have told you many times," the monster choked angrily. "Yet, you refuse to listen to me! I am not your jailer, I do not keep you prisoner here! The magic does, because of the rose that your fair maiden plucked in your honor. I tried to send you away, but you came through the black forest anyway. Since then, you've been mean-spirited and unfair to myself, though I have done you no harm and ensure that you have all the best during your stay. Why then do you insist on mocking and demeaning me!"

The creature breathed heavily with his words, a strange gloss coming to his amber eyes. Haseo opened his mouth, but the beast merely howled, cutting him off. "No, do not try to console me with deceitful words! You do not care, I know you don't. If you wish to be unhappy and miserable, then please kindly leave me out of it. I suffer enough without your accusations!" And without another word, the beast spun on his heel and quickly fled the room. Haseo watched him go, feeling annoyed and slightly offended. The ghost boy materialized near him, looking up at the teen with pitiful eyes. With a sigh, the specter shook his head and faded away again.

"What did I do wrong?," Haseo yelled. He crossed his arms over his chest, huffing angrily. But, a small part of him did feel sorry for making the beast upset...

* * *

The door creaked as it was swung open, the beast padding softly into the room. Millions of cobwebs shuddered in his passing breeze, the pads on the bottom of his feet becoming black with filth, but hardly removing any of the dirt that layered the floor. Debris covered nearly every inch of the room, and the beast had to wander between the piles in a well-worn trail to the other side. An oval mirror hung on the wall, hidden from sight between a moth-eaten canopy bed. The glass glowed faintly, swirls of mist seeming to shift across its face. When the beast approached, it did not show his reflection, but the mist bunched tighter; glowing brighter before it pulled back, coalescing along the edge of the mirror's frame. The space the mist had left behind was dull and grey.

"Show me the girl," the beast spoke lowly. The mirror flashed, and suddenly, color and light filled the grey space. The monster looked over his shoulder anxiously; turning back to the mirror once he was sure that noone was behind him. The image displayed was brighter than the darkness around him, and the beast had to squint a little. Reflected in the glass was a woman, tucked in bed, her pale strawberry-coloured hair splayed out on the pillow. She would be beautiful, if it weren't for the strange black taint that stretched across her skin. It covered her hands and arms, circling her neck and over most of her face. Her lips and a patch of skin along the left upper corner of her face were untouched, standing starkingly white against the rest of the black skin.

The beast sighed, reaching out and touching the glass. "It gets worse...," he mumbled to himself, forcing his eyes to stay focused on the woman in the mirror, despite how desperately he wanted to look away. "And Haseo..."

The glass flashed again, the image burning away to now reveal a young man with silver hair, sleeping in a large bed, under duvets of dark red. The beast felt his mouth go dry and his heart begin to race in his chest. He leaned in a little closer to the mirror, amber eyes falling to half-mast as he studied the teen. Haseo rolled in his sleep, a mutter on his lips. Jolted by the movement, the beast jumped away from the glass, turning his back on the mirror and yanking his hood tight around his ears. "N-no!," he hissed at himself. "H-how could I dare to t-think that way...?"

Sighing heavily, the monster turned back around, facing the mirror again. Haseo still showed in the glass, his strong arms tossed above the sheets. When he slept, the teen looked so peaceful, as if he was not weighed down by anything. "But, of course he is burdened...," the beast whispered forlornly. "He worries still about Shino... he wants for his freedom..."

The beast glanced up at the glass, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. Terrible, he thought. He had never done these sort of things before; he had always kept to himself. The spirits of the servants, held deepest in the magic's throes, had even learned to leave him alone. Solitude was what he sought... it was what he was condemned to. It had to simply be because of Haseo. No, the beast corrected himself, it was everything to do with the teen. He was being foolish, trying to be nice and kind, looking for that sliver of companionship with another human being that he had long been denied. The monster sighed for the third time, clutching at his cloak as if it were a life-line.

He knew these things would be easier if Haseo wasn't trapped within the castle alongside him. It was already turning half a year since the teen had come... The beast looked up at the glass, the skin on his muzzle scrunching as he frowned. The mirror was still showing Haseo, as if resolute to torment the monster. And it was doing a fair job. The teen now smiled gently in his sleep. 'I wish he could smile like that to me...' The beast gasped, stumbling back from the mirror. Finally, the glass reacted, mist swimming out from the bronze frame and covering Haseo's image so that it could no longer be seen through the fog. The beast whimpered, claws reaching up and dragging down his face. Terrible, terrible, terrible! He fell to his knees, trembling with his sobs.

How terrible he was!

The beast could feel his heart beating in his chest, weakly whispering out for the teen. Friendship, kindness... no, more than that... a desire to earn those handsome smiles; a wish to feel those warm hands gently touching him, embracing him... kissing him... The monster yowled, teeth clacking together as he bit down the sound of his tears. Oh, how terrible. He recalled the events of the day; how, for the first time, Haseo didn't snarl at him like he usually did. He remembered when he entered the library, heart pounding in his chest. He had been worried, wary. At first, he didn't notice Haseo in the room. The teen was up on the walkways. Apparently though, the teen had noticed him. Haseo leaned over the rail, a book held loosely in his hands. He asked if the beast had any good suggestions... As if... as if his opinion mattered...

The beast sobbed, curling in on himself. He shouldn't be feeling like this, shouldn't have been so selfish. Stupid mirror, stupid curse! Deep, crushing sorrow welled up within him; sparking an even stronger frustration inside. He hated the man who had done this to him. If he had never been put under that curse, then he would not have to be feeling as he did now. There would be no fear, no loneliness, no anxiety... no desire or passion either. Things would have been better. Things would be-

A shuffling cut off the beast's inner ranting. Sniffling disgustingly, he quickly wiped at his eyes, being careful not to gauge them out with his claws. "I-it's alright Gaspard...," he called out huskily. The ghost boy, who had been shifting about around the corner, came into sight now, standing in the doorway. He did not let even a toe pass into the room. The beast straightened up, shakily getting back on his feet. He padded to the door, patting the air above the specter's head as he passed. "I'm fine, " he lied, not even glancing at the child. "I'm just going to get some sleep now."

And he turned without another word, heading down through the filthy hallways and into the darkness.

* * *

It was coming to the end of a year. Haseo had been in this strange castle for almost a full year, and the thought greatly upset him. He did not know what happened in the world beyond the divided garden, and he wondered often about his family, especially Shino. Had she been cured yet? When eating lunch together one day, as the beast and Haseo had taken to doing quite often now, the teen thought to bring it up with the creature.

"You must know of a way to leave," Haseo started. He looked across the table to the beast who was slowly, and quite sloppily, eating a bowl of porridge. The beast paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth, looking up at the teen, before lowering his utensil.

"I..."

"There must be," Haseo interjected. "There were no doors leading outside, but when I wanted to see the garden, doors appeared. In the same way, can't one get out beyond the iron fence then?"

"I suppose...," the beast quietly agreed. Haseo rose from his seat, walking up to the monster who sat in his own chair. He touched the paw, looking intensely into the amber orbs.

"I have been rude to you," Haseo acknowledged. "I have been rude, sour and every variation of the word cruel. I have treated you unfairly, and as you said those months ago, you are kind enough to me still. I don't understand you, and perhaps I never will. You are but a beast, and I am a reckless boy... Yet for all the thankless things you have done for me, I only ask of you this one favor: let me leave. I have not seen my family for months. I worry..."

The beast swallowed, his watery eyes looking up at the teen. "You do not need to thank me... I have done nothing good...," the creature whispered.

"Nothing good!," Haseo yelled, feeling a spark of anger. "Dammit, most people don't bother to give me the time of day. I know how I am; and yet, despite the fact that we have been forced into this situation, you still try to take the time to befriend me. You could have easily ignored me and saved yourself the pain and humiliation I have made you suffer! You have done plenty good, and so, I beg you... please, search for a way out so that I may see my family. Even if it is for a few days."

The beast gnawed on his lower lip, drawing blood with his canines. He looked anywhere but at the teen, yet, he slowly closed his eyes and gave a heavy sigh. "I-i... I will try," he replied. "I will try, if it'll make you happy."

Haseo grinned. "I hope for good news."

The beast yanked his paw away from the teen's touch, rising to his feet and turning away from the table. "...I will find you when I have found a way...," he mumbled, before leaving the room.

* * *

Haseo rose again that night, just sometime after midnight. It had become routine to wake at around this time, because of the weeping, but there was no crying this night. In fact, many times now there was no more crying. Haseo stretched in bed, pushing off the sheets and getting to his feet. He thought to go for a walk, to tire himself out a bit and return to sleep a little while later. The teen left the room and headed off in a random direction. He wandered up and down stairs, and through several different hallways. Eventually, he rounded back into the filthy hallway with the wiry staircase at the end. Haseo cocked his head. He had not even thought about coming here, but this was where is feet had led him. Instead of turning around to head back for his room, the silver-haired youth decided to continue forward and up the staircase. He had not been up to the little attic room in a while... His footfalls were quiet and he met no one as he climbed the stairs. At the top, all was the same as the last time he had come here.

He tip-toed closer to the skewed door, peering into the small room. The moon was full in the night sky, filling the room to the brink with its ethereal glow. This time, Haseo was able to see every inch of the room. His breath caught in his throat as he saw a beautiful brunette lying across the floor, on a simple bedding of blackish fur. The figure shifted, and the teen was surprised once more when the maiden turned out to be a male. Naked, the stranger rolled over, exposing his succulent skin to the moonlight. Haseo found himself hungrily devouring the sight before him. He leaned a little closer and the floorboards creaked underneath him. With a gasp, the brunette shot up, gazing about himself wildly. Haseo, pulling back behind the frame as soon as the sound had been made, thankfully was not seen. He watched with a single red orb as the man sighed wearily, stretching back out on the furs.

"Haseo...," came his name, whispered between the plump lips. Haseo felt his stomach drop. He knew that voice; it was the voice of the beast! This beautiful man shared the same voice? But how?

The teen wasn't able to contemplate any further, because the man was lowering a hand down his body, fingers stroking his flesh as he went. With a breathy moan, slender fingers wrapped around a hardening member, gripping it tightly. "Oh gods..." the man moaned, starting a slow jerk. "Haseo..."

Haseo was getting warm. This beautiful man -who had the beast's voice, not that he remembered at this point- was touching himself so intimately, breathing his name. The brunette gave a particular heartfelt moan and the teen had to swallow the groan he himself almost made. He watched the way the man's own hand stroked his erection, smearing the pre-cum that dribbled from his slit. The slender fingers trailed down the underside of the dick, stroking along the sensitive vein, before falling a little lower to tease the brunette's hole. With a keen, the man shifted position, one hand still jerking on his rigid penis, so that he could better please himself. Haseo licked his lips, focusing on the fingers that squeezed the stranger's ass, two fingers slipping past the tender ring of muscles and inside. The brunette gasped at his own intrusion, pressing his face into the furs as he penetrated himself deeper.

Breathing heavily, Haseo had to look away for a second. His own erection was showing, prominent even under his night clothes. In the other room, the teen heard the man's pleas for him to do more, and his dick twitched visibly at the moans. With a barely restrained groan, Haseo grabbed himself hard, turning his eyes back to the delicious scene in the room. The brunette was on his knees now, back arched, thrusting against his own fingers. His other hand stroked his member furiously, the fingers splaying out every once in the while to play with his swinging balls. Haseo wanted to be in there very much right now, bringing the man's fantasies to life, but he was so enthralled with the sight he couldn't tear away from it a second time. It appeared the stimulation was too much for the brunette though. The man hit his peak, crying out with a bit of a yip, spilling his seed into the air.

"...h-haseo...," he mumbled, as he crumpled onto the furs, sweaty and exhausted. The brunette shivered against the cold of the night air, his sensitive body unable to take the faint breeze. The man curled up on himself, unwittingly displaying his cute ass to Haseo. "Oh, haseo...," the brunette panted again. Haseo twisted his head away, closing his eyes and biting his lip hard. He still had one hand encased around his member, just cupping it, but it throbbed and ached to be touched. Or better yet, to be buried deep within the other's ass. The man continued to whisper his name sleepily, before drifting off entirely. Haseo was glad. Minutes later, he had finally managed to fight his libido back under control, and carefully stepped away from the room, descending the staircase. He had to forcefully inform himself that this was the best action to be taken.

* * *

"I have found a way."

Haseo perked up in his seat, looking over the couch's arm to the beast in the doorway. "Yeah?," he said, crossing his legs in an effort to hide the erection he had. He had been thinking about the beautiful brunette again. It may have been three days since he was up in the tiny attic room, but he couldn't stop thinking about the man. He shook his head a little, trying to clear away the image of sweat-slicked skin and plump lips; and focus on the beast.

The monster walked further into the room, smiling strangely again. "Yes," he answered. He reached inside his cloak and pulled out Haseo's traveling pack. "I have already packed your things for the voyage."

Haseo jumped to his feet. He snatched the bag from the beast's hands, eyes bright with joy. He slung the pack over his shoulders, looking up at the beast. "Show me the way," he demanded, unaware that he was being ungrateful and blunt. The monster continued smiling, turning and leading the way out of the room. Haseo followed behind obligingly.

They walked past the rooms Haseo had become familiar with: the library, his bedroom, the dining room, the sitting room... He recalled days spent within them. Being drawn into games by the ghost boy, eating his full in the dining room; quiet afternoons spent reading books in the library with the beast. For a moment, the teen wondered how he would sleep in another room this night. The pair walked forward to the grand doors of the castle. Haseo looked up the wood skeptically. "These doors won't open. I've tried," he told the beast.

The monster glanced over him at his shoulder. Slowly, he raised one paw out, touching the door. They drew outwards at the creature's touch. Haseo gaped, blinking into the bright sunlight that poured into the castle. "Amazing!" He rushed out of the castle, forgetting about the beast entirely. Swallowing down the fresh air, the teen laughed all the way down the driveway. He paused- there was a black steed standing in the middle of the yard, waiting. Haseo smirked. "You're for me, huh?"

The stallion tipped his head, gazing at the teen with a dark eye. Haseo's smirk grew, and he clambered up into the horse's saddle with ease. Gripping the reins in his hands, he turned the steed to the gates. The horse didn't need any further prompting, immediately breaking into a canter. Haseo whooped for joy, the wind rushing past as they headed into the black forest and leaving the castle far behind.

* * *

**_Why didn't you tell him to come back?_**

The beast stared out into the forest, watching the gates shut, and then the doors before him. Darkness filled the castle and stayed that way, because he did not will it to be any different. All around him, presences drifted about, walking away from the room and leaving the two of them in peace. The ghost child by his side looked up at the monster, his eyes crinkled in confused sorrow.

**_You want him to stay. Don't you, Silabus?_**

The beast sighed at the name. It was one that he had not been called in a long time. He gazed up at the wooden doors. They had closed and locked themselves again, and would remain shut forever. Unless Haseo returned... "He wanted to be free," Silabus whispered. "I could not keep him prisoner any longer."

**_But the magic... It demands to keep us. It won't let him stay away from the castle for long, now that's he bound to us. If not..._**

The ghost fell silent, biting his lip. _**Why...? Why didn't you tell him to return? You liked having Haseo around didn't you? He made things better here.**_

"Gaspard, quiet... please...," the beast ordered. He turned away from the door, stalking off down the black halls. "It wouldn't matter," his painful whispers echoed. "Haseo must want to stay. He never had reason to before... that has hardly changed. It is better than if he never comes back..."

Gaspard bowed his head, letting his friend walk away from him. With a sniffle, he faded back out of sight.

* * *

"I'm back!," Haseo cried. He jumped down from the stallion, running up to the little farmhouse. The door slammed into the wall as he rushed inside, but he paid it no mind. "Shino, Tabby -anyone!- I'm home!"

He ran to the kitchen and the living room, but there was no one there. Feeling a little anxious, he backtracked to the main hallway. "...haseo...?," a tiny voice whispered. "...is that really you?"

Haseo spun around, grinning wildly. "Tabby!," he shouted. He ran to the girl, picking her up in his arms and whirling her around. The poor girl was so stunned, she could only sputter at the boy's laughter as he spun her still. Finally, he set her back down, hugging her tightly before he released her. "How is everything?"

Tabby looked up at him, as if she was not entirely sure that he was there. "Haseo...," she breathed, "Shino's awake." The teen froze, eyes wide open.

"Show me," he finally gasped. Tabby grabbed his hand, leading him to Shino's bedroom. They both entered, and Haseo saw that Sakisaka sat by the merchant's bedside, a breakfast tray in his hands. Ovan stood against the wall, watching the scene. All eyes turned to look at them when they entered the room, Shino smiling.

"Haseo...," she said, her voice husky from lack of use. "You're home."

Haseo crossed the room, falling to his knees by the woman's bedside. "Are... are you okay?," he choked, clasping her hands. Shino smiled. In the background, Tabby was crying.

"W-what a mi-miracle...," she sobbed. "S-shino wakes up, j-just as Ha-haseo comes home. P-praise be to G-god!"

The teen smiled wryly, glancing at the weeping girl over his shoulder. "I am just happy that you are okay," Haseo said to Shino.

"And I as well," the woman replied. She turned to look at the rest of their family. "Come, let us get something to eat." All heads nodded, and Haseo helped Shino from the bed, heading to the kitchen.

* * *

Haseo woke up. Sakisaka was pressed tightly against his side, snoring away on his side of the bed. The silver-haired youth scratched at his head, grumbling as he got up and out of bed. He had forgotten that he used to share a bed with the tall teen, and now he couldn't sleep well. He'd grown to use to having his own room... Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Haseo headed downstairs and into the kitchen. It was quiet here, unsurprisingly. It was late, everyone having returned to sleep after a rousing party that evening. It seemed unlikely that anyone else would be waking up before tomorrow morning. Yawning, Haseo grabbed a cup. He exited outside, walking for the well in the back.

A cool wind blew through the night. Haseo shivered. It was nearing the winter again; the passage of seasons had been lost back at the castle, and the teen never noticed. So many other things preoccupied his mind. Reminded of the castle and the beast, Haseo found his thoughts returning to that place. He thought of the brunette up in the attic... Was he sleeping now, naked body lying on his bed of furs? Did he moan for Haseo, touching himself like he had before? Was he aware that the teen was no longer there? The silver-haired youth drew himself some water, drinking deeply from the glass. With another yawn, he headed back inside, wanting to sleep for a while longer.

He never noticed the eyes that watched him.

* * *

It was a beautiful day, warmer than it had been for the past week now. Shino stood in a ray of sunlight, soaking it up. She sighed as a cool breeze brushed her cheeks, gentle against her skin. Opening her eyes, the woman shifted the basket of laundry in her arms. From the porch she could see Sakisaka at the chicken coop again, Tabby by his side with a smaller basket to collect the eggs with. Farther on, at the hunched little apple tree on their property, she could catch a glimpse of Haseo at its base. Smiling, Shino stepped down from the porch, heading across the field. "Lovely day," she remarked, sitting down beside the stunned teenager.

"Shino!," Haseo flushed. "Should you be up yet? You are still weak..."

Shino ignored the question, setting the laundry basket between the two of them. She grabbed the first item on top, folding it. Haseo stared at her, before turning his attention away, grabbing an article from the basket as well. "I think we need to talk, Haseo," Shino said quietly, grabbing another shirt. "About where you've been for a year."

"We don't need to talk," Haseo replied quickly. He attempted to fold his shirt, but it came out sloppily, and, frowning, he tried to do it again. Shino did not reach for another piece of clothing, staring at the teen. Finally he noticed her silence, and he turned to face her. "Shino...?"

The woman reached out and touched the boy's cheek. "Please, Haseo, do not be so blind!" Haseo blinked, not understanding her words. Shino sighed, pulling away. "I had an opinion of you, and I was wrong. For that, I am sorry... but I am most sorry for him."

"Him who, Shino?," the teen asked.

"My sleep was not wasted, Haseo," she explained. "I know how much you blamed yourself when I was cursed. But, really, it wasn't your fault."

"Why does that matter?," Haseo asked. "You're cured Shino!"

The woman faced him angrily. "Don't you dare believe for a second that it was your doing that broke my curse!," she snapped. Haseo leaned away a little bit, utterly shocked by Shino's anger. The merchant glared at him, tears in his eyes.

"You shouldn't have left the castle..."

Haseo felt his face grow hot, getting mad himself. "What are you talking about Shino?," he demanded. "You didn't want me to come home, is that it?"

Shino grabbed his shoulder. "Listen to me then!," she cried. "You were never supposed to leave the castle. The magic restrained you from doing so, you were to stay there and not return. But you had to ask him the one thing that he could not do, without destroying everything? He took your curse Haseo, and mine. He cured me; he set you free. And for that... he'll die."

"W-what does that matter to me?," Haseo croaked, jumping to his feet. He had to get away from Shino, away from the merchant's tears. He had never seen them on her face before. The woman stared at him somberly, and unnerved, the teen stumbled away. He ran for the house, disappearing inside. Shino let him go, sitting still under the apple tree, laundry basket by her side. She picked up the discarded shirt Haseo had dropped, looking back at the house from the corner of her eye. She was unsurprised to see Ovan turn away from one of the windows.

A worried frown came to her lips, but the woman stayed where she was.

* * *

There was great black walls towering before him. Haseo squinted in the faint light, gazing upward in confusion. The castle seemed to sway in his vision, and he had to step back a little before it toppled over. He closed his eyes, opening them again and looking back at the castle. How had he gotten here? The teen tried to think. He remembered, he remembered... Shino was well again; he'd come home. He tried to recall more, but a strange throbbing started in his head, beating away all sense as it echoed through his skull. Why? Why was he in pain? Why was he here again, at the evil castle?

"Because you have learned nothing yet..."

An unnatural wind blew. Haseo opened his eyes. He no longer faced the castle; there was no more pain in his head. The garden stretched out before him, the iron fence nowhere in sight. It made it look as if the garden continued on into infinity. The wind blew again, and suddenly there was a little girl before his eyes. She stood among the snow and green grass, right on the border line between spring and winter. Her white dress hung oddly stiff on her tiny body; long, turquoise hair framing her face. Slowly, she blinked, lilac-coloured orbs lifting up and staring at the teen. Haseo felt agony rip through him suddenly, tearing through his abdomen and making him crumple to his knees. He wheezed, trying to catch the air. But it wasn't getting into his lungs, he could feel more oxygen escaping him, making the space grow tighter and tighter and tighter...

"He suffers..."

Haseo blinked. He was lying on his side, drool dribbling from the corners of his slacken jaw. He shifted, pushing himself up with his shaking arms. The world spun, but the girl's whispers cut through it all, his only tie to firm reality. He lifted his head, staring at the child. She stared back, her face void of any emotion. But her lilac orbs... they sparked with some sort of inner fire, they...

"You've put him before the executioner," she said. Except her lips did not move. "He shoulders your half of the curse, though it kills him now..."

Pain again. Haseo screamed, writhing, curling into a ball, trying to get away from the pain. The girl approached him, her steps like silence, her movement like the dead breeze. He twisted and bucked at her feet, screaming tortured cries as the agony increased, doubled, began to overwhelm him. She crouched by his side, an indifferent child studying an injured insect. Thank god she didn't have a stick in her hand.

"Agony," she breathed, in that gentle murmur, "Such agony. He feels this now. He hurts now, all for you. You do not realize it though. Too selfish, much too selfish."

Haseo gasped. He was staring up at the sky, lying on his back. The pain had gone again, as if it had never existed. But his mind was certain that it had been real. It had... hadn't it? The girl was looking down on him, her expressionless face studying his. Her eyes shined brightly for a moment, grabbing his attention. Her lips began to move...

"Wake up. Break the curse set on him and yourself. Free the prince. Free Silabus."

* * *

Haseo tore away from the dream, falling to the floor. The cool, hard contact of the surface jolted him into reality, and for a few moments, the teen stayed exactly as he had fallen; taking large, gasping breaths. Morning sunlight filtered in through the room's tiny window, and from his position, he could hear the rest of the house occupant's moving about downstairs. Shakily, Haseo pushed himself up, pulling off the blanket that had tangled around his legs, wiping at his forehead where a film of cold sweat had developed. It was just a dream, but no matter how much he tried to tell himself as such, the teen couldn't shake the terrible feeling of foreboding that hung over him.

_Wake up. Break the curse..._

Haseo shivered, leaving the room. His steps were quick, as if he thought he could outrun the whispering of the dream if he merely left the area. Tabby was downstairs in the kitchen, Sakisaka with her. The two were making breakfast for the family. Upon hearing his entrance, the girl turned around, a broad smile on her face. "Good morning, Haseo," she greeted. She turned back to her eggs when Sakisaka clucked his tongue for her attention, removing them from the burner before they could start to burn. "Shino is in the barn. And Ovan is... well, I don't really know where Ovan is, but Shino should. Can you tell them that breakfast is ready?"

The silver-haired youth shuffled out of the kitchen without a response, his heavy feet leading him to the door. He was dressed still in the pants and tunic he had worn the day before, but he could not be bothered to change. Blearily, Haseo slipped on his boots, knotting them and then heading outdoors. It was nearing winter; the wind carried the scent of frost and it nipped at his exposed skin with its sharp teeth. How long had he been in the castle, that the world would change seasons so rapidly on him? Thinking of the castle, reminded Haseo of the beast, and the dream. He could still hear the ghost-like girl's words echoing in his head...

_Free the prince. Free Silabus!_

He was standing in front of the barn before he had even realized he had moved. Haseo drew in a sharp breath. Shino was on the floor, her hand clutching her chest. Memories of the black taint flashed before his eyes, and Haseo rushed to the woman's side. "It's alright, Haseo," Shino said, pushing away the teen's hands. His red orbs noticed that there was no black sludge on her skin, but still, her face was contorted with pain. "Leave me."

"No," Haseo protested, again attempting to help Shino to her feet. The woman pushed away his hands, getting up herself. She walked up to Phillipe's stall, unlatching the door. He noticed faintly that the black stallion he had ridden home with no longer stood in the stall beside Phillipe.

"You need to go," she said. Haseo looked from her to the horse, bewildered. He stumbled over his words, trying to make sense of the situation. Shino cut him off before he could get anything out. "Ovan... h-he's gone to the castle. The beast, who has taken your curse and mine, he is dying! You need to stop Ovan from doing anything more! Please!"

Haseo couldn't believe what he was hearing. Ovan knew about the castle? He was aware of the beast? Ignoring the stunned teen, the merchant pulled Phillipe out of the stall, sadling the horse. "Please Haseo...," Shino pleaded, leaving the horse for a moment and grabbing the youth's hands. He looked into her eyes and felt a greater wave of juxtaposition. This was the second time in two days that he saw Shino cry. "P-please! You must hurry! T-the beast shouldn't have to suffer anymore!"

_He suffers..._

Haseo took a step back, pulling his hands out of Shino's grip. The woman did not move to approach him again, staring down between her feet. "Ovan is not evil...," she whispered. "But he can no longer interfere..."

It was a split-second decision. The teen grabbed Phillipe's reins, running out of the barn with the horse. Once out in the open air, he jumped onto the horse's back, digging his heels into the beast's sides. Immediately, Phillipe sprang into a canter, heading for the forest; and deeper inside, the castle.

* * *

Death. That was the vision he saw. Haseo slid off Phillipe so quickly, he stumbled before regaining his balance. The castle, dark before, was blacker than ever, strange grey spots stretching across areas of the stone. The iron fence was rusted, the gates swinging freely, creaking with a shrill scream everytime they moved. A breeze stirred through the compound, echoing hollowly across the grounds. His heart was in his throat at the sight of it all. Haseo ran around the side of the castle, stopping in his tracks at the horror that met him. The divided garden was no more. The spring buds and trees had shriveled up and died, the trees becoming bare and gnarled. If this scene wasn't terrible enough, even the winter half had retained damage. No longer did it sparkle with freshly fallen snow; all had melted away, and the diamond-dust covered trees and bushes were twisted and grey like ash. The world he had become familiar with was no longer, a vision of monochrome grey for everyone to see. A scene of death.

"Beast! Anybody!," Haseo screamed. "Where are you!"

He ran through the garden, pounding on the windows of the castle, trying to get inside. Like before, the glass would not break. Strange, black sludge bubbled along the seams of the walls, but Haseo was too distressed to care. "Let me in," he yelled at the glass. "Let me in dammit!"

Nothing would yield, and desperate, he ran back around the other side, slamming into the door. No matter what he did, like the time he first came to the castle and was trapped within, the doors would not open to him. The walls continued to grey, and everything creaked as if it were slowly breaking apart. Haseo screamed, punching the door continuously. He didn't care that it felt as if his knuckles were cracking, or that blood started to show as he shredded the skin on his hands; he didn't even care for the strange black ooze that was beginning to bubble and pour from the seams in the wood -he only wanted to get inside, and he refused to let anything stop him. Phillipe whinnied in distress behind him as he started to ram the door. It jarred his shoulder terribly, but finally the wood gave way and granted the teen entrance. Immediately, Haseo scrambled back onto his feet, having fallen to the floor when the door broke, running down the black halls.

"Beast! Anybody!," he screamed into the silent air. "I'm here! Answer me, please!"

The candles did not flicker to life as he passed, but remained resolutely dead. Many times, he ran into walls or tripped over stray furniture. He would push it out of his way and get back on his feet quickly, heading further into the darkness. On the second floor, some dim light filtered in through the dirty windows and Haseo used this to find his way. He was moving quicker now; taking turns and heading down the hallways that he knew. Every time he came by a room he knew, he would stop long enough to look inside, screaming for anyone. No one was there, and still no answer came.

"This way..."

Haseo paused, spinning about abruptly. The lilac-eyed girl stood in the middle of the hallway, looking perfectly detached from the world. The castle shook with a sudden tremor, nearly knocking the teen to his feet. But for the girl, she stayed upright, not even swaying with the force. Haseo wondered how real she was... She merely blinked, slowly raising her arm and pointing down the opposite end of the hall. "This way," she repeated again, in that same dreamy breath.

He didn't question her. Haseo tore down the hall, forcing his legs to move even when they started to cramp from running so long; sucking down the air greedily. When he was reaching the end of the hall, the girl materialized before him, her finger pointing down a corridor on her right. The teen turned instantly, sprinting down this hallway. The strange girl did this several times, appearing out of thin air to direct him. Haseo was glad for it. The tremors were becoming more frequent and stronger. The last one had made him fall to his knees, and then take refuge under a hallway table as pieces of plaster were shaken from the ceiling. Among all this chaos, the teen wouldn't have been able to keep any sense of direction, and even though he didn't know where the mysterious girl was leading him, he was sure the headings were better than running around wildly; waiting to get crushed by the crumbling castle. Haseo slowed to a stop, clutching the stitch in his side as he fought to catch his breath. The castle shook again, and the silver-haired youth jumped to the wall, narily missing a falling chandelier. Sharp pieces of glass exploded up from the crash, scratching the exposed bits of his skin. Haseo hissed but couldn't care much for the minor injuries.

"You came."

Haseo sucked in a breath, turning on the spot. Before him, mere feet away, stood Ovan. The man's white cloak fluttered about him, blue scarf obscuring the lower half of his face. But the orange glasses perched on the bridge of his nose flashed with the faint light, and behind them, the dark, calculating eyes peered into the teen's very soul. Ovan's presence though was not the most surprising aspect. Behind the man, hunched over and one wrist held tightly in the man's hand, was the beast. The poor creature looked even more haggard, red-rimmed eyes peering up at Ovan beseechingly. When the merchant spoke, the beast's gaze was redirected to teen.

"H-haseo...?," the monster wheezed, his eyelids widening in disbelief. Shock quickly turned to horror, and the beast pulled against Ovan's hold. "N-no! You must le-leave! Save y-yourself!"

Haseo focused his attention on Ovan, feeling his hatred spark. "Let him go," he growled, taking a step to the pair.

Ovan smirked, pushing the beast behind him and out of Haseo's line of sight. "Don't be rash, Haseo. You are nowhere near strong enough to oppose me."

His red eyes jumped about quickly, looking for something that he could use as a weapon. How he wished that he had his daggers on him! A leg from a chair had been snapped clear off, making a decent club. Haseo dove for it, missing the unexpected spell that charged toward the spot that he had just vacated. Rolling onto his feet, the teen stared in dismay at the crackling flames, trying to process that it would have been him burning to a crisp if he had wasted even few moments. Haseo turned his head around, glaring at Ovan. "So you can do spells, huh?," the silver-haired youth spat, tightening his grip around his make-shift club.

Ovan's smirk seemed to grow a few more inches, the sorcerer raising his hand. "This is why I say that you can not possibly oppose me. You are young Haseo; the world holds many secrets from you still."

The arrogance! Haseo charged for the man, screaming at the top of his lungs. The sorcerer's smirk became a frown, and with a mere sweep of his hand, Haseo was thrown back before he could even get within striking distance. The walls shook as he slammed into them, pain flaring from his back, a crack resounding through the hall. The teen was certain that he broke something.

"Really...," came Ovan's voice through the haze of pain. "I expected more from you Haseo. Because of your failures, your friend will suffer an unnecessary death."

The beast made a terrible wail, crying the teen's name over and over. He fought against Ovan, as near as Haseo could tell, but he was overpowered. The monster's whimpers rang quietly as the two disappeared further down the hall and out of hearing range. Groaning, Haseo forced his eyes to open. Red and white flashes danced before his eyes, making his head spin. When his vision settled, he could see that he was the only one left in the hallway. The castle shook with another tremor, knocking against Haseo's injuries. "Beast...," Haseo grunted. "W-where's the b-beast...?"

The mysterious girl appeared before him. She held out a hand, her lilac-coloured eyes unblinking. "Hurry," she said. "He takes the prince to the garden. If you don't hurry, time will run out and the curse will have its victims."

"W-why should I trust you?," Haseo snarled. He paused in his rant, coughing up blood. It speckled the girl's immaculate hand, but she did not move to brush it away. "W-who are you?," the teen demanded.

"I am that which was most precious to him; for which he caused much pain to others to achieve his goals," she whispered. She let her hand drop to her side, standing upright. "I won't say it again -anything more will be a waste of breath on my part- I only hope you'll abide by my words and hurry. Time is running out... soon, your chance will be gone." A small displeased frown tugged at the corner of her lips, and slowly the girl began to fade. Just before she disappeared from view, again her arm raised, pointing in the opposite direction of where Ovan went.

With gritted teeth, Haseo clambered up to his feet, but he was not quick enough to catch the mysterious child. Holding his side gingerly, the teen looked down the hall the girl had pointed towards, wondering, finally, if it was safe to trust the girl's headings. But the beast was in trouble, and it was the only lead he had. Grabbing his crude club, Haseo started down the hall in a staggering run. His side ached with the motion, sending deep, sharp pain up to his skull. He could taste blood on the inside of his mouth, either from his tongue or cheek he couldn't be quite sure. Several times he tripped, from his own feet and from the terrible shaking of the castle, bruising his kneecaps with the heavy fall. More times than he could count he lost his breath, and for a second, he feared he would black out. Only one thing kept the veil of darkness from covering him entirely: the poor, pathetic beast, that had been so kind and courteous to a cold individual such as himself...

"Ovan!," Haseo screamed, rounding the lower staircase. He found the man standing in the parlor, before a set of glass doors. Beyond them, Haseo could see the enchanted garden: a wretched, twisted grey landscape that was dying every second. Terror pushed the teen forward, but anger kept his eyes glued to Ovan.

The sorcerer smirked upon seeing the silver-haired youth. "I've been waiting," he drawled, flicking his cape out of the way of his hands. He left them at his sides; waiting again, it seemed, for Haseo to make the first move.

Spitting out a gob of blood, the teen snarled at the man. "Where is he? Where is the beast? If you've done anything to him, I swear-!"

"That you'll do what?," Ovan interrupted. His tone wasn't mocking, but its cold edge cut through Haseo and rattled his nerves all the same. "You are weak. Helpless. There is no way that you can save the beast with your current strength."

"Don't tell me what I can and can not do!," he yelled. Pain flared in his chest, and Haseo swayed dangerously as oxygen escaped him. He shook his head, shaking off the fuzziness settling between his eyes, and hefting up his club. "Get out of my way...," he demanded.

"And if I don't?"

Haseo didn't bother replying, charging forward again. Ovan sighed, shaking his head. "Typical," the sorcerer muttered. He raised his hands, weaving strange patterns through the air. Strands of flame flared into existence, weaving together into two thick braids. Moving his hands still, Ovan commanded the fiery whips into action. They slashed and sliced through the air, diving for Haseo. They cracked the space above the teen's head, sizzling the very air and leaving behind a tangy odor that clung to Haseo's clothes and singed the fine hairs on his head. Haseo struggled to avoid the whips and their snake-like strikes; but with his failing lungs and aching body made dodging all the harder. Several times Haseo was back-tracking, pulling farther away from Ovan to stay out of danger, rather than getting closer to the sorcerer. He was more susceptible in these moments to the whips, where the tips got close enough to sear his skin and cover him with a light film of charcoal.

Stumbling, Haseo came out of striking range. He took the moment to catch his breath, clutching his side as a fresh wave of pain ran through him. Apparently, his injuries were worse than he had first thought them to be.

"Won't you tempt the gauntlet, Haseo?," Ovan asked from behind his striking whips. "Do the flames of hell turn you aside so easily?"

He didn't know what to say. All he could see in his mind's eye was the beast. Deep-ridden guilt filled him, tangling in with the threads of anger that pulsed inside of him still. Ovan was a sorcerer. Ovan knew of the castle, but pretended like he didn't when Shino was cursed. Ovan hurt Shino again, before coming here. Ovan was hurting the beast... Ovan cursed the beast...

"How could I have been so stupid!," Haseo cursed himself. His red orbs followed the swaying whips, his lips pressing into a determined frown. When the one whip touched the floor, its twin arcing towards it, Haseo rushed forward again. Ovan's whips immediately rose to block him. Again, he was ducking and dodging, trying to stay away from the licking flames; but never did he give any ground. A strike aimed for his head, and the teen arched back to avoid it -it skimmed his nose, singing the flesh, but Haseo quickly rolled away from the assault, taking three steps forward.

"Better," Ovan said over the flurry of cracks. "You're improving rapidly Haseo!"

The man let one of the whips dissipate, its fiery body melting into a screen of black smoke that wafted forward and blinded the silver-haired youth momentarily. Coughing, Haseo ran through the smoke blindly. He counted himself lucky that the other whip didn't make a move for him in those few seconds. Bursting out of the cloud of smoke, the teen swore loudly, throwing himself to the floor. The sorcerer had been using the smoke has a distraction- while Haseo had been running right for him, Ovan was casting another spell with his free hand. Bullets of ice, at least a thousand, orbited around his outstretched hand. Upon seeing the teen, Ovan released the ice pellets. They shot for Haseo like lightning. The majority of the missiles missed him, digging deep into the floor upon impact, but several got their target. Thankfully none hit the meet of his calves, but the ice pellets sliced through the fabric of his pants, cutting deep gashes into his skin.

Haseo curled at the pain, adding on to the bruises he formed on his previous injuries, before quickly scrambling back onto his feet. He couldn't waste any more time, even if his body ached terribly. Ovan was in the middle of casting another spell already. Haseo charged the man, swinging his club back behind his head. A feral cry of fury fell from his lips, rage fueling his limbs. Faster than he expected, he closed the distance between the two of them. Ovan's eyes widen in surprise at the teen's burst of speed, and he barely had time to form a shield before Haseo's club fell. The blow glanced off the magical block, giving the man time to jump away, putting some space between himself and the teen. Blood was rushing in Haseo's ears. He could hear nothing beyond its roar; feel nothing but the urge to hurt this man here; could see nothing but a red-tinged Ovan in his world.

In his view, Ovan was frowning, brow furrowed with something akin to terror. Good, the youth thought, roaring out again. He leapt for the sorcerer, swinging his club wildly, jabbing it to get under the man's guard. Ovan managed only to keep the club from hitting his flesh. With every strike, he took another step back. Soon, he would make a mistake, and Haseo will have gotten his chance.

"Why are you doing this Haseo?," Ovan asked, absorbing another attack with his shield. He grunted from the blow, spinning around and putting some distance between them again. Haseo let him, snarling as he took a moment to catch his breath. "Why are you fighting me?," Ovan demanded. "What purpose is there?"

"Shut up!," Haseo yelled. "Fight me, coward!"

Ovan shook his head, taking several steps back for everyone one that the teen took towards him. He let a hand drop from his magical shield, conjuring the flaming whip in his hand again. It burned black this time. "Why should you care what happens to the beast?," the sorcerer questioned. "He is nothing to you."

At those words, the teen's rage increased. But something else rose with the fury, peeking out through his anger. "Because...," Haseo gritted, shaking his head. He felt strangely fuzzy now. "Because he does matter!"

"Really?," came Ovan's mocking voice. "Whatever for?"

Haseo opened his eyes -when had he closed them?- and glared at the man. "He is my friend!," he answered. He changed the hand holding the club, gripping it tight around its middle. With a wary step forward, he was charging the sorcerer again.

Ovan cracked his whip, trying to keep Haseo back. "When have you ever had a friend?," was the man's snide comment. "You've always been alone, Haseo. All your life. Your ambitions, your distrust, your pride- it's kept you separate from everyone around you, even the ones you'd call family. Why then is the beast any different? What makes you really think he's your friend?"

Haseo danced away from the whip, clenching his jaw. He dodged at an overhead strike, rolling under the blow and gaining a few inches on Ovan. "He is my friend!," the teen insisted. He dodged another blow. "He was kind to me!"

The whip cut several strands of hair.

"He smiled for me!"

He jumped over the whip again, the flames licking at his calves. He landed awkwardly, scrambling to stand again. He swung at Ovan, hitting only the sorcerer's shield. The powerful strike rebounded, tipping him backward and losing the advantage. "He did everything for me!" Haseo paused to spit some blood on the floor.

The sight of it reminded him of how injured he was. Why was he fighting? Ovan's question had wormed its way into his brain, infecting him. Even though he stood here, trying to fight the sorcerer, he was not winning in any sense of the word. Then why? Why was he wasting his time, killing himself for a creature that was near-dead anyways? Memories drifted forward, bringing justification with them. Haseo could remember it all: the smiles, the favors, the gifts. The beast, enslaved in a curse, did everything in his power to make Haseo's own imprisonment as enjoyable as possible. He wanted the teen to be happy. Nobody had tried so hard before. The beast deserved to have someone else care for him; to have someone strive just as much. That's why he was fighting, right? And as well...

"He set me free," the teen whispered. He raised his head, looking Ovan square in the eye. "Even though the curse wouldn't yield, because I asked for it, he let me go." Haseo walked forward, club tight in his fist. Ovan shifted at the teen's approach. He raised his whip up, swinging for the silver-haired youth. Haseo barely even flinched when it cracked beside his ear, tearing away a layer of skin off his cheek, the flames licking at his flesh.

"He cared enough about me to do something that couldn't be done."

He dodged under the next strike, rushing forward suddenly and ramming into Ovan's shield. It shattered, falling to the ground in jagged pieces before dematerializing altogether. The sorcerer grunted, back-tracking, trying to get some advantage. Haseo kept pace with him. "He... he thought me worth the pain and suffering that he was sure to endure; and found a slip in the curse. He took my half on himself; he let me escape."

Ovan gritted his teeth. He jumped back suddenly, bringing his whip forward. It raced for Haseo's throat. At the last second, the teen brought up his club. The whip tightened around the wood, black flames licking across the entire surface. He yanked it harshly out of the sorcerer's hand. It disappeared the same time that the club disintegrated into ash. Using the force of his momentum, Haseo lunged forward into the teetering man, slamming his fist into his gut. Ovan keeled over, crumpling to the floor with a strangled gasp.

"You lose..."

A harsh, crippled laugh began to fall from the man's lips. Haseo arched a brow, fists clenching at his sides. "What's so funny?," he demanded.

Ovan tilted his head back, looking up at the teen. "Despite all my attempts... You've wasted too much time," he replied hoarsely. "The beast dies."

All anger vanished. Haseo tore past the sorcerer, crashing through the glass doors and out into the garden. His eyes searched the twisted, grey landscape but he couldn't see the beast anywhere. He could feel the world tipping again - air was entering his lungs in quick, desperate wheezes; his heart racing so fast in his chest it threatened to implode. "Beast!," the teen cried out into the emptiness. "Beast, where are you?"

The air shimmered in front of him. Black smoke coalesced into a plump child's form, large eyes looking up at him imploringly. The ghost looked sickly; his blackened hands tried to reach for Haseo, but they only kept going through the teen. With a despaired shake of his head, the specter turned away, pointing incessantly to a pile of boulders by a thicket of twisted cypresses. Something dark poked out behind its face. Gasping for breath, Haseo charged to the rock, spinning around its side. A mangy animal lay on the other side; it took him a moment to realize that it was the beast, and not some poor creature. Black sludge matted his fur, and the air slipped out of his muzzle in long, spaced hisses. He did not respond to Haseo's presence. The teen dropped to his knees, hesitantly reaching out for the monster.

"Wh-why... why won't he wake?," Haseo demanded of the ghost. The boy, having faded into view beside the teen could only shake his head, crying silently. Haseo grit his teeth, screaming in rage.

"...h-haseo..."

Haseo jolted at the whisper, looking down at the beast before him. Amber eyes looked up at him, dull and pained. The monster shuddered, the black ooze stretching and coating through more of the fur. The eyes rolled in the back of the beast's head and he coughed up blood. The teen lifted the beast up, cradling him in his arms. "Y-you... took the curse? My c-curse... y-you let me g-go free, w-when it would h-have killed you?," Haseo licked his lips. His eyes burned in comparison to the cold weight filling his hands. "W-why?"

"...h-haseo...," was all the beast said. Haseo choked, for another reason all together. He knew that voice. He thought about it often.

"Damn," Haseo cursed himself. Tears slid down his cheeks, dripping onto the beast's muzzle. "Y-you... y-you shouldn't h-have wanted me. Y-you should have been se-selfish... it's a-all I've been. You w-would be fine if you didn't ca-care so much a-about me."

The amber orbs focused on him. Achingly, he raised a hand, touching the teen's cheek with a nearly hairless paw. His brittle nails chipped when they met his skin, breaking off and falling to the ground. "I... I c-couldn't possibly not h-have," the beast choked out. He broke into a cough, his blood spattering onto Haseo's shirt. The beast shivered, curling on himself as pain wracked his body. "L-leave me...," he gasped.

The beast was getting colder in his hands. "No!," he protested, clutching the monster tighter. "I won't leave you... s-so, please, d-don't le-leave me..." Why was this happening? He fought Ovan, only to fail in rescuing the beast?

Haseo cried, bending low and pressing his face against the beast's fur. The black sludge did not rub off on him, but remained resolutely glued to the other's fur. The curse was true; it would steal away the beast's life. "P-please... d-don't go," the teen begged. "I-i love you..."

The beast gasped, his eyes shooting open. They filled with tears, and a small smile grew across the muzzle. "I-i'm glad... that I-i c-could know this... b-before I d-died," he mumbled. Slowly, his eyes began to close again. Haseo spluttered like a fish, paling until he was white like snow. The beast grew heavy in his arms, the last of his breath escaping him. Haseo did not even have the breath to scream. The ghost boy fell to his knees beside them, wringing his hands as he cried. Silver tears cascaded down his cheeks, a trail of snot following suit. With a strangled sob, Haseo pulled the beast's body closer.

"I should have stayed...," he murmured remorsefully. "... I should have said something sooner..."

The black sludge bubbled and pooled, and Haseo had to release the beast. The oily darkness swallowed the monster whole, and Haseo watched horrified, unable to do anything. Clenching his jaw, he closed his eyes. His hands trembled at his sides. 'He suffered for my curse...' The black sludge bubbled on the beast's body. It reached up, as it were alive, winding itself around Haseo's hands. He let it crawl up his arms, and over his shoulders, silent tears tracking down his cheeks. The ghost beside him shouted in shock at the strange behaviour of the sludge, trying to rip the slimy tentacles off of the teen, but his fingers melted into fog every time they got close. The child's tears came thicker; crying now for two friends. Haseo slowly turned his head. His injuries had finally sapped him of his strength, and he could feel darkness edging around his vision. It was growing on him and soon it would encompass him. Now though, he didn't mind. He had failed the beast... why should he live when another had died for his own curse?

"Hey...," he whispered hoarsely to the ghost. "No need to shed tears for... me..."

The specter shook his head wildly, balled fists rubbing at his leaking eyes. Haseo would have said more, anything to comfort the boy, but his body leadened suddenly and he slumped forward a bit. The black sludge was still covering his entire form. It twined around his legs and hips; its tight grip now reached for his face and neck- the only areas it had yet to touch. "I-it'll b-be... alright," Haseo whispered, as his heavy lids finally fell closed; cold darkness taking over him.

* * *

He was coddled within a sheet of warmth. It was the first thing he registered, the second being that he could feel anything at all. Was he really dead then? There was a heaviness he noticed after a moment; it confirmed to him that he wasn't dead then, unless being dead felt like being alive. A sound- it came from so far away, but it was enough to draw his attention. With awareness, came the flood of memories. He was Haseo... He had fought his adoptive 'father', to save a monster that had been so kind to him. A monster that was under a curse, the same as Shino. A beast that he loved -and let die. He groaned; he was getting sense in the rest of his body. He was lying in something soft, it surrounded him, made him warm and cozy. It also made him slightly dozy.

Fighting off the last dregs of sleep, Haseo forced his eyes to open. He had to close them again immediately after for a moment, before opening them again. The second time around, the light wasn't as harsh. He gave himself a few moments, red orbs adjusting to the brightness. He was in a room. A bedroom. The canopy was directly in front of him, morning light splashed across the forest green fabric. Turning his head was a challenge in itself, but the teen managed it quicker than opening his eyes. Strength was returning to him with every moment that he woke up. To his immediate right, there was a pair of armoires. They were separated by a small lacquered table, and then book-ended by two more of the same type of tables. A dresser could be seen just at the edge of his vision. The furniture looked familiar...

There was another sound, on his left now. Haseo turned his head in that direction. He was surprised to find a man sitting by his bedside, back turned to him. One long, brown ponytail fell down the other's back, the end curling just within reach of the teen's hand. With a sharp swallow, the silver-haired youth reached out, winding his fingers through the ponytail's curl. The slight pressure created a gasp from the individual, and turning around, Haseo was greeted with warm, amber eyes and a hesitant smile. "Beast..."

"Yes?," the man replied softly. The brunette leaned in a little closely, one hand touching Haseo's forehead. "You seem to be alright now. I'm glad."

"O-ovan?," the teen croaked, trying to get his vocals working properly. "W-where is he?"

"I-it's alright," the man said, pulling away. Haseo still had hold of his ponytail so he was unable to go far.

"Where is he?," Haseo demanded. He followed the brunette's movement, pushing himself into a sitting position. His side ached only minimally; nothing like before. The man glanced at the teen dolefully, before turning his head away. This action made Haseo forget all about Ovan. He shifted a little closer to the brunette, tightening his fist around the handful of hair he grasped. "Beast... no, Silabus, right?"

The back of the man's head bobbed in answer. "Silabus...," Haseo sighed, "please, look at me."

Hesitantly, the brunette turned to face the teen once more. His amber orbs dropped from the other's face, cheeks reddening. To Haseo, it looked adorable. Before he could even process what he was doing, he bridged the distance between them, kissing the man. Silabus gasped in surprise, and his mouth was dominated in that moment. A minute later, they broke apart; Silabus panting to regain his breath, Haseo licking his lips.

"O-ovan...," the brunette murmured, once he could breathe normally again. "Y-you don't have to kill him anymore."

"What do you mean?," Haseo frowned. Kissing the man had been a pleasant distraction from thinking about the sorcerer, but now that his thoughts were on the older man again, he felt irritation rising in him. He especially didn't like to hear Silabus talking about his adoptive father.

Silabus sighed, turning his face down again. The teen gently took hold of the brunette's chin, bringing his eyes back up to meet his. Silabus trembled minutely in his hold, but nothing broke through those gorgeous amber orbs. "Curses," he said. "It all comes back to curses. Ovan - h-he explained it all to me."

"Explained what?," the teen questioned. "Did he do anything to you?"

"N-no!," the prince cried. "H-he... he won't ever torment me again. He swore it; he gave me his blessing..."

"Again? He really did curse you, didn't he?" Haseo grit his teeth, swallowing the scream that threatened to rise. He had already theorized that earlier, but hearing it from the prince's lips was a different case altogether.

Silabus sighed softly, hands curling into anxious fists. "Wh-when I was a child, he came to the castle. Shortly after his arrival, he wove dark magic onto the castle, imprisoning everyone inside," Silabus explained. "In the depths of the curse, I stood alone. The spell transformed me... disfigured me..."

"It bound him up tightly, so that he could go nowhere; left alone in a dark place, festering in despair."

Both males jumped at the third voice, turning to the source. A girl -the same lilac-haired girl from Haseo's dream- stood at the door. She no longer looked so stiff; her hair fell about her shoulders gently, and her knee-length dress moved a little every time she did. By her side was a plump boy; he shifted his weight every few moments, looking up at the two males longingly.

"Gaspard," Silabus whispered from Haseo's side.

Before he could say anything though, the girl was speaking again. "I know you must be angry with him, Haseo, but I hope you won't hold a grudge against my brother. He did what he felt that he had to at the time."

Haseo's head reeled. "What a minute... Ovan is your brother?"

Three heads nodded in unison. The teen looked to all of the room's occupants, before shaking his head. "How the hell is that possible?," he muttered to himself. "I never even heard of him having a sister... he spent so much fucking time with us..."

"I was sick for the longest time," the girl started again. "As the prince mentioned already, it all comes back to curses. I was a baby when I was cursed; it weakened my body greatly. I nearly died several times. My brother immersed himself into magic once it was obvious I was cursed. He was determined to save me from the spell."

"Sometimes though...," she whispered remorsefully. "To break a curse, a stronger, darker spell must be used. That's where the prince comes in... My brother could find no counterspell within the regular spells, so he began a wild hunt through more unknown, forbidden jinxes and hexes. He came across something that gave him hope. If he could but harness sorrow and anger, tap into their combined strength, he would have magic enough to, over time, undo my curse. First, he needed joy."

"'Thus sorrow and shadows deprive the heart of hope'," Silabus recited.

"'Thus sorrow and shadows deprive the heart of hope'," Ovan's little sister echoed. "To take away the light and joy of a person's life -a child, specifically, yet unjaded by the world- and leave them alone, trapped; transformed. The potency of such sorrow would rip a soul apart; those feelings were exactly what my brother needed from Silabus. And you as well Haseo. Do you feel the same amount of anger as you had before, when you think of Ovan?"

Haseo blinked. He stopped to think about it for a moment. When he thought of Ovan, he did feel irked, but... he didn't feel the same urge to hurt or the irrepressible fury he felt when he usually thought of the sorcerer. "No...," he answered slowly. "I... I hardly feel anything."

The girl smiled, as if this news was unsurprising. "I bet you never knew that you were cursed as well. You were, though. Curse-born, truthfully. My brother found you during his travels. See, sorrow wasn't enough of an ingredient alone to break my enchantment. He needed anger too -hell-born fury. Inside of you he found that rage; it had been spirited inside of you from a demon. Why do you think you were alone almost all your life? Even when you had your family? Because of that curse you could only rage, and people inexplicably became afraid of you, whether or not you did anything."

"Two souls... one filled with despair, the other filled with anger," she continued. "Silabus, I must apologize. Had I known the sort of life you would lead, I would have had my brother break the curse on you long ago. But I was young, and Ovan, having found Haseo, left me with our relatives to be part of his new family. I never knew the circumstances of my release; and Ovan had thought the curse would break of its own accord once its purpose had been served. He did not count on the spell gaining an identity..."

"I-it's... it's okay," Silabus said. Haseo turned to look at the brunette. The man stared ahead, his lips pulled into a strange smile. Not even thinking about it, the teen slipped his hand into Silabus's, giving it a comforting squeeze. Silabus looked back at him, surprise highlighting his eyes, and a blush on his cheeks.

"I suppose though," the girl was saying now. "That things happened as they were supposed to. For you Haseo, your curse would never lift, having been born with it in your blood. Every year it grew stronger, until the time when you'd be consumed by hatred and death came for you. My brother worried constantly. Perhaps you won't believe it... but he cares very much about you. You don't raise a child willingly, without developing some sort of attachment eventually."

"After all... 'Thus sorrow and shadows deprive the heart of hope, passion provides yet the only light. Light sharpen fury's teeth and inner fears, 'til darkness swallows whole all ever more. Still, passion given to change shadows, and darkness morphed to resemble light; can change stranger's plight.' Longing for company, Silabus reached out for you. His poor heart came to love you; returning his love, overcoming your own prejudice hatred for those few moments, the curses on the both of you started to unravel. By caring for the other through the haze of dark magic, you set yourselves free," the girl smiled.

Haseo had yet to take his eyes off of Silabus. He couldn't be sure all about this curse business, but the beast who had cared for him so much, sat before him now in the form of the beautiful brunette that pulled at his lust. Was this love? This feeling of want and affection for another individual? If that was the case, the teen was in deep. He never wanted to leave Silabus's side again; never wanted to lose the man.

"We'll leave you alone for now," the girl said. "Come on, Gaspard. Let's give them a little privacy."

"Oh, but wait!," Silabus protested. The two kids were already heading out the door.

"I'm glad that everything is better now, but don't take too long!," Gaspard called back. "Remember everyone's waiting downstairs for you."

"Everyone?," Haseo asked, finally turning his attention away from the brunette for a second. He gaze puzzled at the closing door, facing Silabus again. "What do they mean everyone?"

Silabus blushed. "The castle has returned to its former glory now that the curse has ended. Subsequently, the servants have come back as well. Them, and Ovan, have invited the rest of your family here. They're all in the dining room at the moment."

Haseo sighed. As much as he liked the others, he didn't really care to see them at this moment. He was going to need some more time to wrap his head around the turn of events. He released the brunette's hand, grabbing his shoulder and pulling the man down as he fell back on the mattress. Silabus squeaked, wriggling in his grasp. "Silabus...?," Haseo asked, rolling to face the prince, and effectively trapping him. "Do you love me?"

The bluntness of his inquiry brought blood rushing to the man's cheeks. He gaped for a couple seconds, before tears pricked at the edges of his eyes, a smile spreading across his lips. "Yes," he answered, strongly and surely.

Haseo felt his breath slip out in a relieved sigh. He shifted closer to the brunette, wrapping him tightly in his arms. "D-do... do you l-love me?," Silabus whispered. "Yes," the teen answered back, just as certain. Silabus nuzzled into his neck, fingers clutching Haseo's tunic. The silver-haired youth pulled away enough so that he could plant kisses on the crown of brown locks.

"You'll stay? Here, with me?" Haseo smiled at the man's question.

"Obviously. No offense or anything to my family, but the house isn't big enough for more members. Not to mention, we don't have any spare rooms. And we're definitely going to need our own bed."

Silabus looked up at the teen, blushing scarlet. He glanced to the door, trying to deny the teen's implications hidden in his words. When he looked back, his eyes didn't hold the same bit of fear that was in them just a moment before. "We have many rooms," Silabus replied. "If you'd like, your family can stay with us."

Haseo smirked at the suggestion. "You can tell them that face-to-face." He withdrew from the brunette, getting off the bed. He held out a hand for Silabus to take, and with only a second of hesitation, the man accepted it. Haseo pulled the prince to his side.

"You were the beast before, but no longer. Don't be afraid. I loved you then, and I love you now still. Your heart is the same."

Silabus took in a shaky breath, leaning up and placing a chaste kiss on the teen's lips. It was Haseo's turn to blush now. The brunette hugged the stunned teen, smiling. "Thank you," he whispered.

Haseo hugged Silabus quickly before letting go, settling for the man's hand. "We should probably go see the others now. Before anybody else comes upstairs," he said.

"Haseo..."

"And we'll introduce ourselves proper, alright? You're important to me, and I want everyone to know it."

Silabus blinked. "Yes," he smiled again. "The same for me as well." Confidently, Silabus led them forward, a pleasantly surprised Haseo following behind. When the brunette opened the door, the teen took a moment to look down the grand hallway. He breathed deeply, gripping Silabus' hand tightly. Together, Haseo walked out of the room with Silabus, heading towards their new life.

**

* * *

C.M.D: I did so many different takes to this fairytale, before finally settling on this final version; which keeps some major aspects from my other drafts. I kept debating with myself whether or not to add Ovan and his sister as major characters to the plot, but then caved, figuring that they gave a little more to the story if they were involved. I even drafted one of my friends to sit down and read through all my parts and help me cut and paste; he was sad that I decided to take out the 'beastiality scene' between Haseo and Silabus, which was supposed to be how the curse originally was broken.**  
**I figured not too many people would be able to handle it... Or that I'd be banned from this site for it. Oh, how I hate censoring myself.**  
**Another thing... I noticed afterward how my rendition of the Beauty and the Beast started to reflect the storyline to the .Hack/G.U games. Unintentional on my part, but I decided to let it remain because it added a flair to the original fairytale that made things better. Anyhow, that's it for this one.**  
**Hope you all enjoyed, and I look forward to your reviews~**


	4. Sleeping Beauty

_**Sleeping Beauty**_  
_**~Redux~**_

_*RikuxSora -Kingdom Hearts*_

Once upon a time, in an era much more magical and mysterious than our own, entire regions were ruled by Kings and Queens; Dukes and Counts. By Noble blood, you were lifted up to high standing, everything offered by hand and foot, on silver spoon and gold tray. Nothing was beyond your reach. But to the ignorant, and to the unfortunate specifically, these beliefs were mere illusions. Food, shelter and comfort... all the greatest of gifts, truly, and for sure not lacking to the Nobles. Yet, compassion? Empathy? Free will, to take steps beyond their predestined futures? Blue blood could not even begin to understand these things, let alone possess them. And so, they were no better than the servants that waited on them daily.

Poor, misguided fools trapped in all manner of cages.

* * *

The fanfare was to be expected. The court was filled to the brim with courtesans and courtiers alike; every being of noble lineage and magical forte brought together under this one roof in great celebration. The Lovely Queen had finally given birth to a child. The guests whispered excitedly to themselves about the cheerful news, shifting on their feet anxiously, longing to see the newborn. The trumpeteers on the dais lifted their brass horns and gave a rambunctious toot, highlighting the Royal family's entrance. Immediately, the entire court fell quiet, before erupting into cheers as the King and Queen stepped into view. In the Queen's arms, was a clothed bundle. Smiling at their guests, the King raised his hand for silence. Everyone complied, holding their breath. "Welcome, everyone," the King greeted. "I am glad that all of you were able to make it. This is a most important time for my Queen and I. You all know how long we have waited and prayed for a child to be born to us. After such a time, I'm glad to say that God has graciously granted us our request."

The court this time applauded loudly, instead of cheering. They did not want to interrupt their ruler during his speech. Waving his hands again, to quiet the rest of the clapping, the King continued. "Today, we honor the birth of my son," a pause for the cheering that followed, "and to give him blessings. One day, this Kingdom will be his to rule; and he will do so just as rightly and kindly as the Queen and I do."

All the guests vocalized their agreement. At such positive feedback, the Queen stepped up beside her husband, smiling at him warmly before turning that smile to the rest of the court. "We'd like you all to come up, one by one, and see first hand our lovely child. Our most beloved Riku." That being said, the Queen strode to an ornate crib set before their thrones and gently laid her baby inside. When she had done this, the King then took his Queen's hand and together they seated themselves.

"Come," beckoned the King. "We are ready to receive your gifts and blessings now."

At the invitation, the courtesans filed into a line, muted chatter starting up as they did so. Each noble peered over their own hands, trying to see which gift the others had brought. In a sense, it was almost amusing to watch them trip over themselves in vain; wanting to out-best each other, even when it was the King's newborn son that was supposed to be the center of attention. Sitting quietly in the shadows, twelve men watched the proceedings with an air of slight disdain and repulse.

"Why are we here again?," questioned one. He shook his head as a fat Duke approached the prince's crib; peeking inside at the babe, before handing his gift -a chest of rubies- to the waiting servant standing on the side. Sneering at the noble's disgusting display, the speaker leaned back in his chair, scratching at a head of long, red spikes.

One of his companions, a young-faced man lifted his eyes at the inquiry, blonde bangs falling before his blue eyes slightly. "Don't be like that Axel. It's customary that we should be invited to such royal gatherings. It'd be a slight against us otherwise."

"The idiot speaks the truth," spoke up a third. He had dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, away from his scared face. Grinning cheekily at the redhead, the man continued talking. "As Demyx points out, ignoring us during a celebration like this would only incur you-know-who's wrath," Xigbar said, whispering the last part and pointing farther down the end of their table to their beloved leader. Saix, sitting beside Xemnas caught the end of the raven's sentence and scowled down at the trio. Xigbar merely shrugged off the glare, turning back to Demyx and Axel.

"There is an order to be followed," Demyx started again, picking up where the elder had left off. "Not being part of the human realm, they, as much as ourselves, must adhere to the rules. New life within noble blood is to be hailed by us and bestowed from each of us thirteen gifts. That's how things are meant to be."

Axel made a disinterested noise in the back of his throat, his eyes glued on the procession of rich gift-givers still approaching the prince's crib. It seemed there was a hardly a dent made in the line. "Yeah, yeah... all because of a fey and human pact made ages ago, as decreed by the Gods. I've got that crap memorized, all right. No need to repeat it," the man scowled. "But seeing as how we're speaking of blessings, where is our most adored number thirteen?"

At this question, Demyx lifted his head and scanned the crowds. His search turned up nothing. "I guess he's not here yet...," the blonde said, biting his lip worriedly.

"Lucky for him."

"Don't say such things, Axel," Xaldin said. The redhead turned to the man, who was busy polishing the blade of one of his lances at the moment. The raven did not turn his attention away from his work. "Dear Roxas will show. He'll have no choice but to beckon to the call. If he refuses, the mark of our pact will not be the only thing that stings once Xemnas is through with him."

Axel straightened up in his seat at the threat of his friend; the flames of the candles starting to dance toward his clenched fists. "Listen you, if you think I'm go-"

"Shut it, firefly," Xigbar growled, cutting off the redhead. "The rest of the court is finished. It's time for our blessings."

Looking up, Axel saw that the bowman's words were true. In such a short time, the rest of the Nobles had finished presenting their gifts to the prince, and now it was their turn. In one fluid movement, all twelve men rose to their feet; black cloaks swirling about their bodies. Xemnas stepped away from the table first, and as leader, set the path that the rest followed; falling into numeric order. Glancing anxiously over the rest of the court, Axel searched for Roxas. Though moments before he was congratulating the pipsqueak from avoiding this dreadful party, the truth of Xaldin's words still held bite. To refuse the Call of Blessing, which all fey were bound into following, would mean physical and mental torment to the one avoiding the call. But how much worse that pain would be once Xemnas exacted his own punishment on the would-be traitor. Having been the fey who first garnered the contract, he was in a position of authority to do as he saw fit with anyone who would break the balance which they supported, in keeping the world of magic and humanity equal. Roxas was young still... new to the contract... he did not yet fully understand. And that ignorance could get him seriously hurt.

As the fey stepped toward the dais, the crowd around them fell silent. The humans watched them warily, shifting in place nervously. Axel couldn't help but snort at the predictable behaviour. Humanity, despite having known about them for so long -lived side by side with the faerie realm- still feared them, and that fear was not so easily hidden. Why, then, the flame fey wondered, did Xemnas agree to such a ridiculous contract in the first place? He couldn't help but think that the older fey had a penchant for the dramatics. Coming to a stop, the others fell into place on either side of Xemnas, creating a semi-circle around the royal podium. Seeing that they would go no further, the King rose to his feet and cautiously approached his most capricious guests. "Good sirs," the King welcomed hesitantly. "On this most joyous day, you have been invited for the presentation of the Kingdom's heir. What then have you brought to bless us with?"

Xemnas smirked, inclining his head slightly to the nervous King. "We have brought many gifts, your majesty. The finest blessings to be offered to one of such royal blood, as only ones of the magical veil could possibly give." The elder fey stepped onto the dais finally, approaching the baby's crib. The Queen watched with worried eyes as the dark-skinned man peered into the cradle, his eyes scrutinizing the child within.

"For a great king, there must be strength," Xemnas intoned. His hands began to glow with purple-black light, and he waved his palm over the crib; sparkles of dark light falling inside and upon the slumbering babe. "Might and power shall be his blessing; let him not know weakness in the face of enemies." His blessing given, Xemnas stepped back with a polite round of applause, giving room to the next fey to approach. Each of them walked up the dais in turn, waving their hands above the crib and presenting their magical gifts to the child. But still, Roxas had yet to appear, and panic did not start to set in until after Axel had his turn. Finally, aside from missing number thirteen, Demyx was the only left to go. Ever chipper, the blonde started up the dais, a smile on his face.

"Ah, such a darling baby," the fey cooed, looking into the crib. Axel rolled his eyes, and tried to keep the grin off his face as he caught Zexion scowling from his peripheral. "You're gonna be a handsome one, no doubt about it. Even without Marluxia's gift you'd be so. How lucky your mommy is to have such a-"

The doors were thrown open with a tremendous bang, cutting off the rambling blonde and spooking the rest of the court. Guards moved forward to apprehend the intruder and quell the threat before it could reach their King and Queen. But, after a moment, they stepped down as a cloaked figure strode into the room. "Forgive my lateness, your Majesty," the stranger said, voice echoing over the deathly quiet court. "I seem to have gotten lost on my way here."

Pulling back his hood, Axel was relieved to see that the unknown figure was none other than Roxas. The blonde looked about the gathered crowd with distant blue eyes, lifting his chin up in pure defiance. The courtesans were cowed by the youth's strong gaze, and easily parted for him, heads bowed. A pathway cleared now, the blonde made to join his comrades. "Magical one," the King asked, turning to their leader, "is this one part of your fold?"

Xemnas, his face clear of any emotion of the storm brewing beneath the surface, turned his eyes away from the wayward fey and to the King. "Yes, indeed your Highness," the man answered. "A young fey who still has much to learn, I'm afraid." Somewhat appeased, the King sat back down in his throne, staring at the new arrival.

"Well, come then honored guest. What blessing will you bestow my child?" The King gestured to his son's crib, to which Roxas approached. Respectively, Demyx stepped down; waiting for his turn again. The teenager stared into the crib, one finger touching the babe's brow. The remnants of his companions' magic were strong; they had only given their blessings moments before. He was not too late then. Silently, Roxas searched the webs of magic, reading the weaves cast around the child; seeing which gifts had already been given. Strength, beauty, knowledge, courage, honesty, grace, speed, empathy, good will, language, wealth, good fortune... all wonderful gifts, and already blessed to this prince. Roxas frowned. What then would he give this baby? As the teenager stood there, forefinger pressed to the child's brow, an image filtered into the fey's mind. His blue eyes darkened and glanced upwards, at the two anxious parents, sitting rigidly in their thrones. Axel noticed the trance immediately and held his breath, hoping that the words to come from his friend's mouth would not cause harm.

"Listen well, hear me now," the blonde intoned, his voice echoing with unrestrained power. A snapping gale began to build up in the court. "Let all know: come his day of birth, sixteen years from now, this child shall die by royal hands."

The silence that followed this declaration was more profound than anything previously. The King, face contorted with rage, jumped to his feet. "Guards!," he roared. "Capture this traitor. Seal this monster who would threaten the throne!"

The court erupted into screams of horror and anger, pushing against the guards who were trying to race for the dais as they all surged forward. With a confused shake of his head, Roxas broke free of his trance, looking around himself in confusion. He tore his hands away from the baby as his mind caught up with him, stepping back as the King's personal guards lunged toward him. With a scowl, the youth spun about on his heel, disappearing in a cloud of shadow. The guards, with no target, tripped over themselves, falling to the floor. The rest, not having yet fallen, surrounded the last of the fey. Despite feeling anxious, Axel held himself perfectly still; appearing unfazed by the mob around him. The King walked forward, staring down from the dais at the magical beings. "You have broken your contract, beasts. Your presence is no longer welcome here. Leave, before I have the lot of you thrown into iron shackles."

Xemnas smiled that hideous smile of his, stepping to the very edge of the human barrier. "You misunderstand, your Majesty," the fey said, ignoring the glares sent his way. "The young one has betrayed the Call, and so, he will be punished as is fit by our own people. Yet, we are still in contract and as such, mean no harm to the throne. If you recall, one of our own still has not presented his gift. A blessing would correct this most grievous tragedy, would it not, my lord?"

The King clenched his fists at his sides, but did not yield to the fey's words. Noticing this, Demyx stepped up beside Xemnas, his hands held out beseechingly. "Please, good King; beloved Queen," the blonde pleaded, "See reason. I can not undo what has been done by another fey, but I can change the curse all the same. Will you let me do so, for the good of your Kingdom?"

The Queen, who had scooped up her baby during the uproar, stared at the faeries with tearful eyes; her grief clearly evident. It seemed, she would not answer, and her husband -blind with rage- could offer no coherent words himself. Finally though, as she gazed sorrowfully at the baby in her arms, she spoke. "Dearest fey," she choked. "I-i could not bear to l-lose this little lamb... not a-after God has so soon given him to me. If... i-if it might spare his life, then do as you must."

At the invitation, Demyx walked through the part between the guards, stepping up the dais hesitantly. The Queen held her child tightly, but as the blonde approached, the woman held out her son in offering; her weeping eyes pleading for a bit of hope. Demyx smiled at the woman and baby sadly, before pushing back his sleeves and holding his hands over the still sleeping child. "There was much I wished to give you," the blonde sighed. "A gift of music, especially, so that your life might be full and joyful. Alas, it looks like that is a gift you shall never carry. But I will give you something greater, to undo the dark words my comrade has spoken. Listen now, little babe, for you shall not die before your years. Instead, if darkness comes for you and Death crooks his bony finger at sixteen years too soon, then you shall not be so easily swallowed. To sleep you shall go, a deep sleep but not eternal, this I assure you; 'til a time when the darkness can be pushed back by another's light."

The blue, calming glow of Demyx's magic flared from his hands, filling the entire court with its light. And slowly, fresh eyes fluttered open; the light burning deep into the child's retinas.

* * *

After the introduction of the young prince, the faeries' left the realm once more, fearful and angry humans in their wake. Despite the magic Demyx wrought to change the curse set on the baby, the Kingdom was still in fear and this terror forced the fey underground. They did not show for the years to follow; knowing that their presence might upset the delicate balance and throw the country into great turmoil. The King and the Queen though, were not so easy to calm down. The King raged about the curse cast on his son, but the Queen was of an opposite nature, and worried constantly. She pulled herself away from her other duties, content to let her husband do as he willed. The Queen herself could not bear to remove herself from her child's presence for long. The curse loomed over her head greatly, and many times, the woman's time with her baby were spent in tears.

Yet, even with all this, young prince Riku was growing magnificently. The child was bright and cheerful, with an air for adventure and an unquenchable curiosity. And more and more each day, his other blessings began to shine through. His fencing classes brought out his strength and speed; dancing and etiquette showed his grace and power with words and touch. His charm wiled the servants and nobles alike, and his beauty... oh his beauty! The prince's eyes were impenetrable wells of pure water, teal orbs that drew you in and calmed you with their brightness. His smile was the smile of cherubs, and sure to strike the heart of all the maidens once he was older. With a head of long, silver hair and a slim figure, built especially for a powerful King, great hopes were held for prince Riku; and after a time, everyone began to forget about the curse given by the wayward fey. Alas, the good Queen's heart could not be so easily appeased.

As her son grew, he could be found outside in the gardens during his free time between lessons. He seemed to find some sort of solace among the plants and trees, and this did not trouble anyone, despite how curious it might be. One day though, while walking in an upper hallway, the Queen heard a sound that drew her attention. She paused in her path, turning to the arches and looking down into the garden below. She could see her son by the rose bushes, keeping himself company. For a moment, the woman was content to watch Riku, a smile on her own face. But her joy was quickly squashed when the boy turned his head -and conversed with the very air beside him! The child laughed at silent words whispered back, before returning his own comment. Fear filling her breast, the Queen stepped away from the arch, a hand to her mouth. Tears pooled in her eyes, and the woman worried for a second about the possibility that her son might be quite mad. Oh, the gifts of the faeries' must have been awful blessings then! But her mind batted the idea away, and reminded of the fey, the Queen too recalled the curse put on Riku. How her heart ached at this realization! And the heart-broken Queen could only believe that the invisible being talking with her son was that of a demon; set out to steal her little boy's life.

The Queen, unable to fully accept all this, quickly fled the area. She could not bring herself to confess this scene to her husband, and buried it in the very back of her mind. Yet this truth was too much for the good woman, and the Kingdom witnessed its greatest tragedy in several years when the poor Queen fell ill and died.

The curse was completely forgotten then.

* * *

"Good morning, your highness," the serving girl greeted, bowing to her lord. Riku, stretched out across the window seat, merely glanced at the girl, before closing his book. Raising her head, the maiden peered at her silent prince curiously, before straightening up again. "Is something wrong, my prince? You seem quite... pretrubed."

"No, nothing is wrong, Kairi," the teenager sighed. "Everything is the same. Every day, always. The same, forever and ever."

The redhead approached the prince, shifting her basket and using her hip to hold its weight. The prince did not move as she came forward, allowing the maiden to settle down on the window seat with him. "My lord, do you tire of this routine then? It is your life," Kairi indicated, "But it's one that you are master of. Not so many people have the privilege of deciding what path their lives should take."

"I do not feel like I am in control," Riku mumbled, turning his eyes to the sky beyond his room. "You would dictate such whimsical philosophies to me, when I am caught in this infinite loop, with no variation? That would be most cruel of you, Kairi, and unwise. Here, I was beginning to think you had more mind than others of your stature."

The girl frowned at the insult, but did not remark on it. She was not so stupid to realize that an objection on her part could result in her death, despite how lenient Riku was with her. She knew his father would not let it go so easily. "This is more than just privilege then, isn't it Riku," the girl whispered, allowing herself to address the prince informally. This drew Riku's attention, the teenager setting his teal eyes on the servant. "Does your engagement to the Duke's daughter upset you that much?"

For a moment, the other did not reply, but he sighed and finally relented to the maiden's inquiry. "You know me better than anyone else, Kairi. Should I really speak the things you already know to be true?"

Kairi did not immediately respond. She turned to the book that the prince was reading; a record book back from the prince's early days and beyond. "You've been reading the records again," she noted, setting her basket aside, and taking the tome from the silverette's hands. Riku let her, watching as she flipped through the pages, the maiden's brow furrowing in confusion as she gazed at the unfamiliar squiggles.

"I had offered you reading lessons once... the offer still stands if you'd like, Kairi."

The redhead waved off the proposition distractedly, her eyes still glued to the book. "What would be the point, Riku? I am but a servant; your chamber maid. What purpose would it be for me to know such noble things? Besides, I would not have the time to spare. The life of a commoner is quite full. But that's not what we're discussing," the girl said, lifting her face away from the book. She turned to Riku, staring him in the eye. "The only time you read the records is when you miss your mother. Riku... it's been six years..."

"And I miss her still. She was the only sensible one," Riku grumbled, rising to his feet. Kairi sighed, setting the book down and getting up as well.

"Riku, will you talk with me?"

"Leave."

"Riku, please..."

"I said leave!," the prince snapped, turning away from the maiden. Kairi bowed her head in contrite, curtsying at the command.

"If my lord so wishes it," she said, reaching for her basket. Riku sighed as she gathered her things, facing the redhead.

"Kairi... stay. I do not really wish for you to go." Kairi smiled in understanding, putting her basket on the floor once again. Riku, appeased that the girl would not be leaving, made his way to his desk, collapsing in the chair heavily. Kairi noticed this, and her earlier worry returned.

"I had assumed that the engagement was the thing that most worried you, but know I'm beginning to feel that it's something else..."

"It... it is still mostly the engagement," Riku mumbled, staring down at his feet. Kairi walked over to his side, kneeling down at the prince's chair. Looking up, she caught his gaze and held it steadily. "You remember what I told you before?," the silverette asked quietly. "In most deepest confidence?"

Slowly, the girl nodded her head. "Yes. About the boy in your dreams."

"Not so much of my dreams...," Riku mumbled. The prince exhaled lowly, closing his eyes for a moment, before opening them again. "He has been in my life, almost as long as you have Kairi; a constant support to me. His smiles and enthusiasm spur a motivation in me that I would never be able to create on my own. When I am with him -despite how unreal he seems- I feel happier."

"Perhaps then, he is an angel," Kairi suggested, uncertain on how to reply.

Riku chuckled lightly, resting his head in his hand. "Oh, sweetest maiden, I do indeed believe him an angel. But I hardly think he is one. No, he is as much a man as I or my father. And of royalty, of that I have no doubt. Yet... that is hardly the issue here. My father would have me marry a stranger, and though I can see the advancements toward that, I can not so easily comply. I would not ruin another's life because of my selfishness...," the prince added lowly.

Kairi perked at these words, canting her head to the side curiously. "What do you mean, Riku?"

The teenager did not lift his face from his hand. "I could not offer that poor girl a happy life, even with all my riches, because after a time, that's not what she would want. She would come to have my heart as well, and that I can not so easily give. After all, how can I give her what has already been claimed?" Riku raised his head, and gazed at Kairi forlornly. The redhead was surprised to see that there were tears in the prince's eyes. "You must think me mad," he grinned crookedly.

"Riku...," Kairi tried to soothe, placing her hands on the teenager's knee. "We have been, dare I be so bold, like friends since we were young. I know that you are many things, but mad, you are surely not. Does this crippling of your heart have anything to do with the boy of your mind?"

"Everything," the silverette was hesitant to reply. "God may curse me with this madness, and I would accept it because it makes no sense that I should have come to... come to have fallen in love with this boy. Surely, I am but a devil's plaything."

Kairi caught Riku's face within her hands as he hurried to lower his face away from her yet again. "Riku, please. Riku, look at me!"

"It is killing me...," the prince muttered in agony. "More than anything, this knowledge is killing me. Oh, how sick I am."

The redhead bit her lip anxiously, not knowing what to say. In her hands, she could feel tiny tremors, yet she could not tell if they belonged to her or Riku. She pressed her hands closer to Riku's cheeks, resting her forehead against the prince's. "Riku," the maiden sighed. "Poor Riku... please stay strong. The Kingdom will be lost without you. I can offer you nothing, but the wish that your heart will not break. It is all someone as lowly as I can do."

Kairi said no more, holding her distraught prince; feeling her own heart break at this conflicting situation.

* * *

Riku knew Kairi could not fully grasp this predicament.

Standing out in the gardens, the teenager was more aware of how, despite having known him so long, the red-haired servant girl still did not know him. If she did, she would have known how much he hated the gardens. Still, he came out here often because this is where the ghost boy (as he referred to him) appeared the most. Riku settled himself down by the rose bushes, under the shade of overhanging oak branches, waiting almost impatiently for the spirit to show. He came shortly, walking down the garden path languidly, vaguely transparent and glowing with soft, white light. Upon spotting the silverette, the spirit jumped into a sprint, hurrying to the other's side. "Hi Riku!," the boy cried, falling to a stop beside the prince.

Riku smiled at the loud greeting, shifting slightly so he could face the ghost better. For a moment, the teen admired the brown spikes and sky blue eyes of the spirit; teal orbs lingering on the other's lips that were pulled into the most adorable smile. "Hello, Sora," Riku finally managed to say.

The brunet giggled, bouncing in his seat. "It's good to see you again, Riku. I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever come back."

'I could say the same about you,' the prince thought. But he kept the words locked up inside, buried beneath his tongue, because he knew he could not utter them. Though he had confessed his love of this figment to Kairi, the maiden still did not _know_. Sora, this temptuous spirit, was not barred only to his dreams; and indeed, had been like a shadow to Riku -always there by his side, visible among the regularities of everyday life. And getting stronger in image every day. Yet, no matter how hard he tried -and he tried, believe that he did- Sora remained like smoke and light to his touch; untouchable and forever out of reach. Knowing this, the prince had not bothered to speak his affections to this damnable spirit, and continued to linger on a friendly basis with the brunet; tormented by the plaque in his heart that wanted more. Plastering a smile on his face, Riku replied to the spirit's comment. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I was busy with my lessons, and had not the spare time to come and see you."

Sora pouted, and the sight was so adorable that the prince struggled to fight back the blush. His heart was pounding so madly in his chest that he almost missed the brunet's next words. "You at least missed me, right?," the spirit asked.

Riku laughed a little, watching with amusement as Sora blushed indignantly. "Yes," the prince answered. "I did miss you. Very much."

For a hopeful second, Riku thought that the spirit was blushing deeper this time, but before he could think further about it, Sora was grinning from ear to ear. "Good," the spirit chuckled back. "I missed you too Riku! I don't want to lose my best friend, after all."

That cut. Riku smiled, despite feeling his heart crumple in his chest. Friend. That's all he was going to be to this spirit. That's all he really should have been; maybe even less. After all, Sora did not exist within his world. Sora was beyond him... so then why did his heart long for the ghostly boy? Why did God mock him and make him suffer a love must unusual, for a being that did not live on this plane? Oh, how sinful he must truly be, Riku bemoaned, to be subject to such misery.

Sora turned away from him for a moment, and Riku, distressed, foolishly reached out for the spirit. But as every time before, his fingers only passed through the other's shoulder, and to the rose bush on the other side. Hissing as he pricked his fingers on some thorns, the prince withdrew his hand, just as Sora turned back to him. In the brunet's hand was a rose, as transparent as the boy himself.

"Aren't they beautiful?," Sora asked.

Riku, transfixed by the spirit's blue eyes, murmured a distracted, "Yes."

Sora smiled, twirling the flower slowly in his hands. "I like the flowers. They're really pretty. And they hold so many secrets; a language separate from our own. Love, Friendship, Hope... Did you know, in another land, near the ocean, there is a a tree that blooms star-shaped fruit? Really peculiar, but they are beautiful too. The most vibrant colour of yellow that you'll ever see. Legend says, that people who share one of these fruits will be linked together forever. It's a little ancient and superstitious... but isn't it romantic still?"

Riku did not reply, instead slowly nodding his head to the question. He knew well of which fruit Sora spoke of. His Kingdom, standing near the ocean, grew a few good number of those trees down by the shore. That legend was quite popular as of the moment, and couples flocked down to the waterside frequently to pluck one of the Paopu to share with their sweetheart. He had thought it to be silly himself, but Riku wondered now if he might go down and get one of the star-shaped fruit for himself to present to Sora. Would the spirit understand its meaning if he did? If not, it was sure to bring a smile to the boy's face all the same, who thought the little fruits romantic and beautiful.

"Riku? Riku, are you alright?"

Riku lifted his head, not having noticed that he had bowed it in the first place. Sora was looking at him curiously, delicate brow furrowed slightly in worry. At the sight, the prince could only smile, immediately soothing the spirit's nerves. Only around Sora did Riku ever get this soft. He could care less about the others in court; only when around the brunet did the teenager strive to be as kind and as gentle as possible. He did not want to hurt the boy, after all. "I'm fine," Riku replied. "I was just thinking about the star-shaped fruit. Paopu, as they're called."

"Ah, that's right," Sora laughed, cheering up. "That is what they're called. I had forgotten."

Riku exhaled softly at the brunet's laugh, feeling it chime sweetly in his soul like little silver bells. "Yes, the ocean water is good for them. Which is why they grow so frequently along the beach," the silverette added.

Sora sighed. "I would so like to see one someday. They do not grow where I come from."

Riku wished greatly at that moment that he could merely touch the spirit. How he would have brushed his hand, or cupped his cheek then. "Don't worry," the prince said. "I'm sure you will."

At the promise, the Sora smiled radiantly, and despite the heartache it would cause him later, Riku was content to bask in its warmth for the time being.

* * *

Riku would have gladly spent the rest of the day out in the gardens, among the trees and flowers that he disliked so much, to be with the spirit a little longer. But a footman came for him, with a summons from his father. Knowing that this could mean nothing good, Riku bid Sora farewell and followed after the puzzled servant. Instead of heading for the King's personal chambers, like the prince thought they would, they headed for the audience chamber. Riku's gut twisted painfully, for this could only mean one thing. Sure enough, when he entered, his father was talking to the Duke and Duchess of Hollow Bastion; their daughter standing mutely by their sides. Upon entering, all eyes turned to the teenager.

"Ah, son," the King greeted, waving his hand for the prince to come over. "Do come sit with us. It's time you met your future in-laws and bride-to-be."

Swallowing the bile that rose, Riku walked over to the group; purposely slowing his steps so as to delay the matter as much as possible. All the same, he was moving forward, and upon reaching the others he was forced into a seat beside the girl. Glancing at her quickly, Riku saw that nothing of the blonde's petite figure piqued his interest; churning his gut in horrid swirls in actuality, to the point that the silverette thought he might actually be sick on the maiden's petticoats. Caught now, Riku tried his best to block out the elder's conversation, trying to further deny that this relationship was being formed. But it was not to be so.

"I think the two of them should get some fresh air," the Duchess suggested, peering at the pair from behind her fan. The men glanced too, and the King grinned at the proposition.

"I couldn't agree more. Riku, why don't you show the young lady the gardens."

At the King's decree, Riku's footman and the Duke's daughter's lady-in-waiting stood up. Holding back the sigh, Riku too rose to his feet, holding his hand out in proper etiquette for the maiden to take. Blushing shyly, she did; letting Riku reluctantly lead her to the door. Once out of sight of their parents, the prince released the girl's hand; allowing her lady-in-waiting to step up behind the blonde. In silence, they headed back outside to the gardens that the silverette had been forced to vacate just minutes before. Nervously, Riku scanned the bushes and trees for his spirit, while the Duke's daughter gasped in pleasant delight at the greenery all around her.

"You have such a magnificent garden, my lord," the blonde said, boldly moving closer to the prince. Riku ignored the action as they continued down the path, his thoughts on Sora.

"Yes, well, the gardeners work well beyond their compensation," he replied distractedly.

The maiden bowed her head, fluttering her lashes prettily. "Does my lord like the gardens? His majesty tells how often you are found here. I, too, like the gardens. Back home, the flowers are beautiful... but ours are mere weeds before the magnificence that is my lord's garden," the blonde praised.

Riku glanced at her, before turning his eyes away again. He could not face the maiden's affections without feeling disgusted. "No, I do not like them," he confessed. "It's just... quieter here, that's all." A lie, but he would not share with a stranger that the light of his world was a phantom that haunted these rose bushes.

"Oh," the girl said at his admission, her eyes lowering sadly. She fell a step behind the prince, not that Riku cared. It spared him from seeing her grief first hand. But still, his heart ached in sympathy for the maiden, because he knew what it was like to have one's adoration spurned. Stopping, the silverette turned and faced the blonde. Cheeks colouring at the prince's sudden movement, the girl tried to wipe discretely at her eyes, hiding the tears that had just risen. "Y-yes, my lord?," she stuttered.

"Listen-"

"Marie," the blonde whispered softly. "My lord may call me Marie."

Riku frowned a little, and sighed in exasperation. "No, I think not my lady. To be so informal would be impolite and out of turn for ones such as ourselves. This relation is still new, and I will not cross those lines until the time dictates for it," he replied to her offer, carefully editing out that he would never want to address her by her first name willingly. Steeling himself against the hurt look the Duke's daughter bore at his first statement, Riku continued. "There is much that we don't know about each other, and I would advise that we refrain from making assumptions -whether such information has been offered be others or not. I do not wish to lead you on my lady, so please do not find me a villain in all this. I hope the best for you, but I fear that it's not me who will be able to give you happiness. I'm sorry..."

When the maiden did not reply, Riku turned away. He waved at his footman, to send him off, before glancing back at the girl and her lady-in-waiting. "I must be going now. The gardens loop back around to the ballroom. Feel free to walk as long as you wish." That said, Riku quickly fled from the gardens and to the sanctity of his room.

* * *

As was to be expected, his father was not pleased. After their guests had left, the King came storming into the prince's room; snarling and huffing up a storm. "How dare you!," the King raged. "How dare you treat the girl with such contempt! Do you think by abandoning her in the garden you can escape this marriage? Think again! You will marry that girl, and you will be happy because of it. I was able to appease her parents this time, but do not think that because we are royalty such a slight will be forgiven the next time. You will be there when they arrive next week, to greet lady Marie and escort her wherever she chooses. And you will enjoy doing so!"

Riku merely glared at the man, wisely deciding to stay silent instead of retaliating. Nothing he would say could change his father's mind, and he would not anger him further with his efforts. Satisfied that he had won the argument, the King left the room, slamming the doors behind him as he did. Riku turned to his books again, trying to keep calm but easily failing.

"He thinks that my actions are an insult to the Duke, when in fact this cruel engagement is the insult," the teen grumbled to himself. "As he says, I will do. But my actions will carry no further than proper respect to the Duke and his daughter. There will be no wedding... of this I vow..."

* * *

The days that followed were in accordance to the King's wishes. Riku was up at dawn, to complete his lessons and then be hurried back to his room for a change of dress fitting to meet the Duke's daughter. The rest of the day was then spent with him performing certain duties with the maiden: escorting her through the grounds and around the castle, sharing with her their grand library, joining her in mundane activities such as chess or crochet; and when the situation called for it, sitting near her at meal times. Pleased with his obedience, the King did not bother the prince again. But as the months began to add up, and the seasons start to change, Riku knew he could not let this charade continue on much longer. Despite his aloofness and the harsh confession he had given at their first meeting, the Duke's daughter fell hard for the fair-haired teen and one could see the stars in her eyes when she gazed upon the prince. This upset Riku, because it meant he would have to be crueler to break off this affair.

Setting into motion, the servants were in positive cheer as they prepared the castle for the upcoming marriage which would take place a week after Riku's birthday. Now that a date had been set and plans were in full-swing, the Duke and Duchess moved themselves into the guest room, so that they and their daughter could be closer to the proceedings. Having them constantly around made Riku's plans a little harder to achieve, especially with his fiancee attempting to spend every minute of every day with him, but still, the teen managed. He snuck a visit to the royal apothecary, and using his previous knowledge of plants and poisons, nicked a fair amount of herbs out of the cupboards. This was the easy part. The hardest bit was finding a time to brew the stuff. A private discussion with the head cook ensured him that he would be able to use the kitchens early in the morning, before the rest of the servants needed to be up. It was using a lie that he wished to try and cook something on his own for his bride-to-be that he was allowed the secrecy needed for this job. One morning was all he needed, and the fruition of all the prince's efforts lay in his hand, concealed in a small, glass vial.

* * *

Kairi moved about the room, pulling at drapes and bows, straightening them and smoothing out corners. Riku, stiff within his princely best, watched her as she scurried about the place. "Kairi," the silverette called, catching the girl's attention. "Stop that."

"No can do," the redhead replied, hardly looking up from the desk, where she was attempting to order all of Riku's books. "I need to make sure the room is absolutely perfect. After all, in a few days it becomes 'royal chambers' to you and your bride."

Riku frowned. "I said," he growled. He paused, taking a deep breath to calm himself down, before starting again. "I said, to leave it alone Kairi. You have already spent today and yesterday making sure this room is 'absolutely perfect'; there's nothing else to be done now."

The chamber maid said nothing for a moment, still fussing over the prince's books before she stopped all together, sighing heavily. "I know, I know...," she conceded. Turning around, the redhead faced the silverette, her eyes shining with tears. "It's just... Oh, look at me!," she cried, laughing anxiously. "You are to be married soon! And... and that will make you King, in essence, to which the title will fall to you when your father steps down from the throne. You will have a new chamber maid, several in fact, as well as your queen's ladies-in-waiting, s-so... t-there w-will be no more n-need for me..."

"Kairi...," Riku sighed, rising to his feet. He approached the redhead, wiping at her crying eyes. Selfishly, she grabbed at his hands before shaking her head and stepping back from the prince's attentions.

"That's not right, Riku," she scolded. "I should not act like this, and you should not be so kind. We are of different stature, you and I. I should not even be calling you by your name... a-and me, I shouldn't be feeling like this. S-so upset... b-but Riku, oh Riku, why do you seem so unhappy?"

Riku stared into the maiden's blue eyes, noticing how similar they were to the spirit that haunted his mind, yet, just a tad more violet than Sora's. Slowly, her words sank in, and the teenager could only stare at the floor between them in bewilderment. "Kairi...," he murmured softly. "Do you think there could possibly be any hope? That things might actually change for the better?"

The redhead wiped at her eyes, before turning her attention back to the prince. "W-what do you mean?," she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Riku..." But he shook his head, and the girl swallowed her next question. "Yes," Kairi replied instead, "Yes, I do believe that there is hope for all of us and that things will get better."

Looking into the maiden's eyes once more, Riku spun on his heel and headed for the door. When Kairi called for him, he merely cocked his head in her direction; not bothering to face her fully. "I'm just going for a walk, Kairi. I'll be in the gardens," he told her. Then he left.

* * *

True to his word, Riku headed for the gardens. Evening was descending, creating thick, long shadows among the bushes and trees. Up in all the castle windows, candles flickered, spreading their luminosity onto silver garlands; where everything sparkled a thousand times more, painting the palace into a portrait of unbelievable majesty. As if this entire place had been touched by faerie magic. Riku though, did not want to be up there among the revellers, enjoying the wedding that was to be soon. Shortly, he knew the days of pre-celebration would become the night of his matrimony, and then, at that time, someone would come and collect him; lead him like an executioner to the chapel where he would be chained forever to someone else.

Someone who_ isn't_ Sora.

"You're out here pretty late."

Riku turned to the voice, his lips lifting upwards in a weary smile. Sora, standing behind the silverette, caught the tenseness in the other's shoulders and his own smile started to fall. "Hey, what's wrong?," the spirit asked, reaching out a hand to the prince. For a moment, Riku let his eyelids lower, watching as the brunet's appendage drew closer to him; awaiting the moment when he would feel Sora's warmth. But as before, the boy's fingers only passed through his skin, leaving a numbing tingle behind in its wake.

"Ah... forgot the no-touchy thing," Sora chuckled in embarrassment. He withdrew his hand, and Riku struggled to regain his composure. Once again, his hopes had been dashed... and this time, he didn't think he could piece them back together.

"Tell me," Riku whispered to the spirit, "What do you do when people you love have to leave?"

Sora blinked his hazy eyes at the prince, cocking his head curiously. "When people have to leave? Like on trips and stuff?" Riku didn't bother correcting the boy. "Well, that's simple," Sora chirped. "I miss them a lot but I know everything will be alright because I'll see them again so the pain isn't all that bad. And in the meantime, I have my friends to keep me company."

"Indeed...," Riku said quietly to himself. "Friends..."

The spirit canted his head to the other side, hearing a sound that only he was privileged to. "Man, I was hoping to say something else, but I can hear the others calling me. If I don't go they'll start to worry about me," Sora said, turning to look behind him. Sighing, he faced Riku again, another smile spread across his cheeks. "Well, goodnight. I hope to see you again soon. I have a new toy and I'd really like to show it to you tomorrow."

Spinning around, Sora ran off into the darkness; his transparent self disappearing entirely from view. Riku watched him go for as long as possible, lingering behind still even after the brunet was gone. Turning his head up to the sky, where the silver moon was already beginning its ascension, Riku could feel the sorrow tear through his gut and curl tightly around his heart. He thought again of Kairi, and the words she had said.

"I... no longer have hope...," he whispered to the night, "...nor the time..."

Silently, the prince left the gardens and headed back for his room.

* * *

When Kairi heard the news, she couldn't believe it. She ran immediately for the prince's room, pushing aside the other servants that got in her way. Already a crowd had gathered around the door, maids sobbing into their hands while the men stared on in horrified disbelief. Kairi shoved them aside, fighting her way into the room. She stopped, like many before, just beyond the doorway; hand flying to her mouth at the sight that met her. Riku lay across the sheets of his bed, still dressed in a silver tunic and creme pants for the party. One hand lay resting against his chest, the other over the side of the bed. For all the world, the teenager seemed merely sleeping, but even Kairi wasn't that stupid and she could easily see how pale the silverette was and how his chest did not lift with breath. Breaking free from her trance, the redhead dazedly approached the prince's bedside; hands still pressed to her face and tears pooling in her eyes.

The grief did not truly hit her until she had rounded the bed and stood beside the prince. Closer now, she could see the discolouration appearing under Riku's eyes and how still he was. Trying to keep the tears from her eyes, Kairi bent toward his dropped hand, hesitantly reaching out to the frigid limb. Clenched within the prince's fist was a little bottle, no bigger than a palm's width wide, its rim coated with a dark liquid. Hiccuping, the redhead pulled the vial free from Riku's hand, sniffing at the contents.

"Poison," Kairi mumbled weakly. The maiden held the bottle to her chest as she cried harder. Raising her head, Kairi saw that the others were looking at her. It seemed none of them knew understood fully what had happened to the prince yet. Nor that he had done it to himself.

"Poison," Kairi announced, choking on her words. "He has been poisoned!"

The cries and wails of the gathered crowd grew louder, and the redhead could hear the news echoing through the rest of the courtyard, rousing every one to their feet. Kairi, needing to get away, ran from the room, the little vial of poison still held to her chest. None tried to stop her, and for that she was grateful. There was someone she needed to see, and fast. Pushing past everyone now rushing up to the prince's bedroom, including the King himself, the maiden hurried further and further down through the castle. Running out the front doors, she made for the stables and grabbed the closest horse; pulling it from the stall and jumping onto its back. She dug her heels into the mare's side, forcing it into a canter. She led the horse away from the castle, away from the keens that rose from the palace turrets in great waves, through the darkness and down to the coast.

* * *

"Namine! Namine, where are you? Please, I need to speak with you!"

Kairi stumbled in the darkness, running blindly through the cave. She called again, tripping on her feet and falling to her knees. The bottle of poison that she had carried with her all this way slipped from her fingers and rolled along the floor, disappearing into the darkness. "Dammit!," the redhead cursed, crawling along her knees.

"Are you looking for this?," a voice asked.

Looking up, Kairi was nearly blinded by the light shining off the other's figure, squinting her eyes against the glare. Noticing this, the other dimmed her light, enough so that the redhead could see but not be stunned any longer. Thankful for the consideration, Kairi rose to her feet, smiling at the other. "Namine...," the maiden exhaled in relief. "I'm glad that you're here."

Before her stood a woman of most striking appearance. Golden hair glittering like stars, and skin of softest moonlight were wrapped up in a single white dress; the ends trailing off in sheer strips. Many would think her unnatural -not human- and they would be correct. At her name, Namine smiled in reply, blonde hair falling about her face as she tipped her head to the maiden. Her eyes fell to the bottle held in her pale hands, the smile fading from her lips. "I see...," the girl murmured. Not tearing her eyes away from the bottle, she headed for the cave's entrance, gossamer skirt trailing behind her. "Come," she called for Kairi. The redhead followed obligingly.

The wind from the ocean tugged at their clothes, spitting salt into their hair and faces. "Namine... Riku... h-he...," Kairi swallowed sharply, tripping along as she continued to follow the blonde.

"Do not force yourself, Kairi," Namine called back. "I know. Your distress speaks level. Have I not always been with you, sharing the world and the powers beyond?"

"Yes, yes," the redhead snapped, "I know: you're my fairy godmother and all that. That's beside the point. What about Riku... he... h-he can't die! I-it's not right."

"He's not dead."

"What?," Kairi snapped her head up, staring at the fey's back in disbelief. Namine came to a stop on the beach, the water coming up to her ankles. The blonde stared out into the distance, eyes glued to the stars and moon.

"I have been waiting for this day for a while now; counting down the months when it would happen. It is the prophecy, see," Namine replied vaguely.

Kairi stepped up beside the blonde, the waves soaking through the cloth of her boots. "What prophecy?," she asked. "Namine, I don't understand..."

"Sixteen years ago, on the day when the prince was introduced to the rest of the Kingdom, a guild of faeries were called to give their blessings. They had made a contract with the Gods above, and so it was their duty; they were bound in blood and essence to comply each and every time one of royal blood was born," Namine explained. "They came as was expected of them for prince Riku, and twelve of the thirteen men did manage to give their blessing. But for the thirteenth... his words caused such an uproar in the kingdom when he announced that the prince would die by royal hands. His own hands."

"A-a curse?," Kairi breathed in shock. "T-that explains the boy from his dreams..."

"No," the blonde corrected. She walked further out into the water, letting the slow-rocking waves brush against her thighs. Kairi did not follow her this time, "Not entirely. They are connected, yes, but this was always meant to happen. It was unavoidable. Do not fret though Kairi; the well-wishes of one of the fey saved the prince from his early death. He only sleeps now, undisturbed and away from the rest of this world. A sleep from which he will not wake until the other comes to wake him."

"I-i... don't quite understand," Kairi admitted. She hugged herself against the chill that rose in her bones, staring back at the palace she could almost see just beyond the hills and trees. The candles still burned in the windows.

Namine finally glanced back at the girl, smiling in apology. "No, probably not. There is a lot to take in, and even more to explain. In time though, you will understand; in time everything will be better. But first...," the blonde turned back to the ocean and the star-lit sky, raising her hands above her head. The glow within her body intensified, blinding Kairi again. Though the maiden could no longer see, the light was strongest in the fey's hands; where it grew to white-hot intensity and hummed with a melody most like a siren's song. Holding her hands out before her, Namine closed her eyes and drew the energy in; letting it coil inside her until she could hold it back no longer and sent the light careening out into the world. The stars above shivered on their black tapestry, pulling away from the wave of light that swept over the land. Kairi gasped as the wave passed through her, sending tingles down her spine and feeling her body with heat. When the light disappeared, leaving behind burning, little embers that cascaded down upon everything before fading away entirely, the redhead crumpled to her knees; heavy with exhaustion.

"W-wha...?," she mumbled in confusion, finding the disjointed words too heavy even for her tongue.

Namine walked back up the shore, the glow of her body dulled almost completely, and would be for some time. "It's alright, Kairi," she soothed, kneeling down beside the girl. "It is only a spell. Until Riku wakes once more, the rest of the kingdom will sleep as well; to spare all of you the pain of separating. During that time, I will keep watch so that you all may remain unharmed. Don't worry... sleep now," the blonde instructed, taking hold of the redhead's wandering hand, "Rest now, and dream of pleasant things..."

Smiling softly, Namine sat by Kairi's side, stroking the maiden's hair until she succumbed to the thralls of the spell completely and fell into a mystical slumber. With gentle care, the blonde lifted her friend up and carried her back to the castle; laying her in bed not too far away from her prince. Passing by the silver-haired youth's room, the blonde peered inside, just in time to see another shadow slip out of the window.

"In good time," Namine whispered to herself. "In good time all spells must come to an end. May these years pass by swiftly."

* * *

_Sleeping... Sleeping... A hundred years of Sleeping... Dreaming... And Dreaming... For a person I've waited to meet..._

* * *

The day started out like any other. Sora cuddled into his sheets, only to be forced out of them by Donald storming into his room and throwing a hissy fit that scattered feathers everywhere. Only when Goofy came in to restore peace was the brunet able to finally get himself up and dressed for the day. Yawning, Sora headed for his first lesson: horse-back riding. "Morning everyone!," the boy cheered, coming into the courtyard.

Tidus and Selphie already stood on call; Tidus on horseback and the reins of another horse in the girl's hands. "I see you've finally woken up, sleepy-head," the blonde teased from up in his saddle.

Sora scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, Selphie pouting at both of the teenagers. "Tidus, you need to be harsher on him. Sora, you're a prince for crying out loud! Be more responsible!," the brunette scolded.

"But Selphie I am!," the prince protested.

"Well, I don't know...," Tidus grinned from his horse. "Sora has been seeing ghosts in the garden, after all."

Selphie actually laughed at this one, leaving Sora to sputter in indignation; a massive blush on his cheeks. The entire castle was aware of the brunet's "imaginary friend" with whom he had been conversing with since he was a little boy. The ghost, as Sora called him, usually populated the gardens where the prince liked to spend a lot of his time; free or otherwise. But talking to spirits wasn't the most embarrassing thing. No, it was that he had fallen for the ghost boy that was the kicker. And he had fallen _hard_. Sora couldn't say when it started... He had plenty of friends in the castle, but when he saw the transparent boy in the garden years ago, he just felt in his soul that he had to befriend him. The urge was hard to resist, but thinking back in retrospect, Sora did not mind. He'd had many good times with the spirit over the years, and entering into his teen years, Sora was all the more grateful that he knew the ghost.

He guessed the spirit must have been royalty.

The teenager was taller than him, easily by a foot, with long, silver hair that fell to his shoulders. It was beautiful, that hair, and his eyes... oh, his eyes! They were so pale, with a light, blue flame that burned vibrantly and drew him into their teal depths. Anything that the spirit wore looked good on his built form, hugging his muscles tightly or hanging on his shoulders in the most dashing way. His clothes were also the most fashionable... of several decades past unfortunately. That's how Sora was certain that the boy in the garden was a ghost and not just a figment of his imagination. All the same, it was peculiar how the brunet had fallen head-over-heels in love with the spirit. Maybe it was the way the spirit smiled at him...

"Stop making fun of Riku!," Sora cried, as his friends continued to chuckle.

Selphie shook her head, but forced down the rest of her laughter. Tidus didn't feel so obliged. "Come on," the girl said. "Enough teasing now Tidus. It's time for the prince's lessons. Or are you going to just sit here and burn daylight?"

Tidus rolled his eyes at the brunette's reprimanding, but quit his laughter anyhow. Shifting on his saddle, he straightened up and took a more authoritative hold of the reins. "Alright, well, let's get this thing moving," the blonde said. "Hurry up Sora. Today we head down to Destiny coast to see those popo fruit you're so enamored with."

"They're called 'Paopu'," Sora corrected, scrambling up onto his horse. "And really? We're really going to head down to Destiny coast, Tidus? But I thought it was too far away."

"Of course it's far, so if you don't hurry up we'll have to cut our plans short," Tidus threatened. Sora cried out in dismay and quickly settled himself down in his saddle.

"Well, if we only have so long, then let's go-go-go!," the prince cried, digging his heels into his horse and setting the beast off into a canter and out of the palace gates. Selphie shrieked in surprise at the abrupt motion and quickly dived out of the way of thundering hooves as Tidus pushed his own horse into a gallop to catch up with the runaway prince.

* * *

To say that Sora was excited would be an understatement. He had always liked flowers and herbs, but his attraction to nature's flora had been greatly enhanced by Riku's presence in the garden; and he had, in turn, spent a fair bit of his time pouring over books depicting different types of plants and trees. The brunet's favourite discovery was a mystical fruit that used to grow in plenty ages ago, a star-shaped fruit that legend told bound people together in unity for all time. Most people thought it to be a hoax... but when Riku had mentioned that it wasn't, and that it grew near bodies of salt-water, Sora had never been more excited. He was set now on finding one of the rare paopu fruits, with the wish to present it to the spirit. Would it make him happy... and let his feelings finally be understood? The wind pulled at his hair harshly with his increased momentum, sending mists of salt water up into his face. Bouncing in his saddle as he forced his horse to continue its gallop, Sora didn't mind the sting, too focused was he on the coast that was rapidly approaching before his eyes. Behind him he could hear Tidus yelling for him, but the brunet would not be slowed. A few minutes later, he was treading sand and finally allowed his horse to slow into a steady trot, before coming to a complete stop altogether. The prince dismounted eagerly, running down the beach and into the shallow waves.

"Sora!," Tidus called. "Sora, would you come back here!"

Sora splashed about in the water some more, before turning to face the blonde. His trainer was standing on the beach, the reins of their horses in both hands. Taking note that the brunet was actually paying attention to him, Tidus gestured for the prince to come back up onto the beach. Sora complied, strolling back to the servant leisurely. "Tidus," Sora whined. "Tidus, are we going to go look for the fruit now? Can we, please?"

Tidus rolled his eyes, ignoring the prince in favour of untying his saddle bags from the horse's saddle. "No," he said, when the brunet attempted to tug at his sleeves. "We'll have lunch first and then we'll start our grand search. But only for a couple hours, okay? We need to start heading back before too long or we won't make it back until after dark."

Sora groaned, and spun away from the trainer. He played with the sand for a bit, while Tidus set a up blanket and their food. Poking him, the blonde pulled the prince from his activities and to their meal. Quietly they sat, munching on strips of smoked pheasant and slices of honeyed toast. While they ate, Sora found his attention drawn to the scenery around him. Destiny coast, as this was region was called, stretched on for a few good miles as far as the eye could see, before ocean and land took over the rest of the beach. Some grass and trees on rocky knolls grew in great clusters just above the sea-green waves; thick and fruitful in their natural environment. Further up the coast, where the sand and greenery merged more, the land divided itself up into a series of plateaus; rising higher and higher to an overgrown jungle at the very top. For a moment, Sora stared at the dark forest, a strange feeling coming over him.

"Sora... Hey, Sora? Are you there?"

"Huh, what?," Sora mumbled, turning to Tidus. He blinked to lift the haze filling his mind, feeling as if something was slipping away; leaving him hollow and bare inside.

"Sora?," Tidus whispered, touching the prince's shoulder. "Are you alright? Maybe we should head back for now..."

"No," the brunet protested. "I mean... Not yet. I want to find the Paopu first."

Tidus looked at the prince worriedly, but Sora only smiled and pushed himself to his feet, wiping his hands off on his trousers. "Come on!," Sora urged. "I swear I'm alright. Besides, you said that we could do some searching before going home."

Tidus sighed, and got to his feet as well. "Alright," the blonde conceded. "Go ahead and start your search, I'll start cleaning up. But don't go too far!," Tidus called, as Sora bolted for the closest knoll. But the chuckles echoing back from the prince's lips easily showed that the trainer's warning hadn't been heeded at all. Tidus just shook his head and returned to his task.

Sora searched the coast. He climbed up the rocky knolls nearest where they had picnicked, crawling through the bushes and scaling up the trees as best he could to look for the paopu. Yet the grass was too thin and dry to grow anything of that size, and he could see nothing growing up among the leaves in the palm trees. It didn't help that he kept getting distracted. Sora could feel something tugging inside of him, pulling his eyes away from his search to constantly glance up at the jungle at the top of the hill. He didn't know why he kept looking to the forest. Sluggishly, he would pull his head away, shaking off the fuzziness that seemed to seep in and coat all his thoughts. Only with great difficulty could he return to the task at hand; the image of the tangled jungle still there in the back of his mind. He almost didn't hear Tidus calling for him because of his muddled thoughts. Stumbling back down to the beach, Sora was almost glad to be heading home, despite the disappointment of today's outing.

He'd be back again anyways.

* * *

"Sora, prince Sora, where do you think you're going now?"

"I'm just, you know... oh, c'mon Donald! It's lunch time!"

"That's no excuse," the tutor squawked, feathers flying everywhere in his anger. "You keep skipping out on your magic lessons, and you're falling behind again. And today you even dared to fall asleep. I swear if you don't start paying attention, I will-"

"Oh, Donald," Goofy interrupted, cutting off the magician's rant. "Don't be so hard on Sora. He just has other things on his mind."

"Other things...," the tutor scoffed. He glared at the brunet trying to sneak out the door. "Other things or not, the King decrees that Sora learn magic and I will teach him magic. Even if I have to hit him over the head with the bloody textbook! Sora, get back here!"

"But it's lunch!," the prince grinned back from the doorway, his words being followed by the chime of church bells down the way. "Gotta go!" And with that, he bolted, not waiting to hear another word Donald had to say.

The magician huffed, turning to his desk and scooping up his materials angrily. "Ah, don't be upset," Goofy soothed his friend. "You know Sora likes to be in the garden by lunch. It's where he talks to his friend Riku." The duck just glared at the guard, refusing to say anything to his statement.

* * *

Sora wasted no time getting outdoors. The sun was warm against his back; sparrow-song filling the beautiful, blue sky above him as he raced around shrubs and trees alike, heading further and further into the garden. He started to reach his favourite place -a little clearing, just behind some rose bushes near the marble fountain- when he saw Riku. The spirit was seated by the base of some trees just a few feet away from the fountain, his head turned down to the book in his lap. Sora felt himself torn between either picking up his pace or slowing down altogether. He decided to slow down just a tad. Jogging now, he was able to study his ghostly friend a little more. Riku was wearing a sleeveless tunic today, belted at the waist, gold in colour. The richness of his tunic really highlighted the navy blue of his leggings and the silver of his hair, which he wore tied up today. Sora couldn't help the blush that came as he studied the rugged figure of the spirit, feeling a rising urge to reach out and wrap his arms around that broad chest. Finally taking notice of the approaching prince, Riku lifted his head, his teal eyes connecting with ocean blue orbs. "Hello Sora," the ghost greeted.

Sora felt his heart skip a beat, an uncontainable grin coming to his face. "Hi Riku!," he yelled, dashing the rest of the way over to the spectre. Riku turned his head to face the brunet as he crashed to the floor beside the silverette, the ghost's lips pulled into an amused smile.

"You should be more careful, Sora," Riku chastised softly. "You might hurt yourself."

Chuckling embarrassedly, Sora pushed himself from the ground, sitting proper while he rubbed the dirt from his sore cheek. Despite the injury caused by his carelessness, he was really happy that Riku was so concerned about his well-being. "Sorry," the brunet blushed. "I was just really eager to see you. We haven't been able to talk for a while, and my lessons are boring."

A shadow seemed to pass over Riku's eyes at this, but before Sora could enquire further about it, the older boy was smiling again. "I'm sorry that I haven't been around as often, and that I've left you alone to your boring lessons. I hope you'll forgive me."

"Don't be silly, Riku!," the brunet said. "I could never blame you, for anything." Quickly, the prince added, "You are my friend, after all." The words made him feel queasy as they rolled off his tongue, but he wasn't quite sure if it was safe to leave the additional statement out. If he did, and Riku took it badly... Sora could not stand to have the spirit leave him and never return. Riku seemed to become more withdrawn all the same, and Sora prayed that his safety word would keep the ghost with him still.

"Hey, whatcha reading?," Sora asked, changing the topic and bringing focus to the book in Riku's hands. The silverette snapped to attention at the question, glancing down at the tome in his hands.

"Oh, this? Just the records. I read them often... when I am feeling especially sad or lonely. They are how I remember my mother."

Sora blinked up at the spirit, who had seemed to grow quite silent with the confession. It hurt the prince greatly, to know that he couldn't even reach out and hold the silver-haired youth so as to comfort him. Anxiously, Sora searched for something else to say. "You must miss her terribly," the brunet eventually replied. Riku locked eyes with the prince, and the smile he gave was so beautiful but so terribly heart-breaking.

"I miss her, yes. But she has been gone a long time now, and I am safe in the knowledge that she is at peace. No," the spirit said. "There are other things that I miss... and long for... more than anything these days."

'Like me?,' whispered out a hopeful voice inside Sora. He pushed it aside as best as he could, trying to keep himself from getting too carried away. Riku had given no such sign that he thought of the brunet that way. Opening his mouth, Sora was ready to continue their conversation when he heard Selphie calling for him across the garden. With a pout, the brunet turned back to the silverette. "I must be going now...," Sora mumbled apologetically. "I'm being summoned again."

Riku smiled in understanding, tucking his book under his arm as he rose to his feet. "Come then," the spirit invited. "We can walk together a little longer before you have to go."

Sora beamed, scrambling to his feet quickly.

* * *

"Nothing still," Sora sighed, striding into the room and collapsing at the table. Selphie turned to the brunet, a wry smile on her lips. She placed a bowl of soup in front of the prince, turning around to get another serving as Tidus trudged in; falling into an available chair as well.

"Well, I'm sure you boys searched well today. Maybe tomorrow will have better results," the girl encouraged, sitting down at the table as well. "After all, I haven't seen you this determined in a while Sora. You even did research! There's no way you won't find the Paopu fruit."

Sora smiled gratefully, before digging into his meal. "Speaking of which," Tidus said from his side, voice muffled from the spoon in his mouth. The blonde pulled it out at Selphie's glare, before continuing. "We were only given a week's leave to find this thing. King Mickey will want us back at the castle at the end of our trip, whether or not we have found the fruit. You, Sora, have other lessons after all."

"I know...," the brunet sighed, holding his bowl out to Selphie to get another serving. The maiden took the bowl obligingly. "But I don't want to leave until I find the Paopu. It has to exist, it just has to!"

"And why is this thing so important again?," asked the trainer in puzzlement.

"Well, that's because..."

"Because he wants to share it with his friend, obviously," Selphie spoke up from the hearth. She held the ladle out in her hand like a pointer. "Riku knows about this paopu fruit, and so does Sora. So he wants to find it so that he can show it off to his ghost. There's also a legend to it, but it's a fairly obscure thing..." Sora blushed as Selphie trailed off, thankful that the maid had forgotten what the star-shaped fruit represented. He didn't think he could explain this situation yet to his friends. "Anyways," the girl went on, returning to the table with Sora's bowl. "We'll be back at the castle by the King's deadline, so no problems. Not that I don't mind this little village... but it's so far out in the middle of nowhere, and I've never fully trusted places like that. The inhabitants can be nice, but passing travelers aren't always."

"Ah, chill Selphie," Tidus said. "No one's going to rob us, or anything."

"Hmph! Says you!," huffed the maiden, crossing her arms over her chest. "Besides, it's not like Destiny Coast doesn't have a history."

"History?," Sora inquired, interest piquing at the term. "What kind of history? Oh, please tell me Selphie!"

The girl looked reluctant for a moment, before sighing and taking her seat again at the table. "Fine, but if you have nightmares than it's not my fault," she warned. "Anyways, local tale says that this region used to be a lot more up with the bustle. I don't know if there ever was a Kingdom here or not, but some of the seniors whisper that there were a lot more people living here, and even some of the Nobles had smaller palaces here for the summer. And the jungle at the top of the hill? Wasn't there before. I've been asking around but no one really remembers the time before that... They all swear that one day, they were a large village with Lords and Ladies riding through daily in elegant carriages; and the next, they were cut down at least by half in terms of population, with a wild, impenetrable forest growing at the top of the hill. Almost as if it had sprung overnight, by magic..."

Tidus snorted. "Oh, come on!," he protested. "That's utterly ridiculous. A jungle that size and that thick? There's no way it could have sprung up overnight."

"Well noone said it did just before we got here!," Selphie snapped. "The elders I've talked to say that it's been there for a good hundred years now, near as they can remember. But before that, they were told that it had never existed."

Tidus still wasn't convinced, and wisely returned to his soup before the conversation could turn into a debate. Sora though was gazing out the nearest window of their room, staring up at the jungle on top of the hill. He could feel that strange tugging in his gut again, almost like something was calling for him. Was it true, what Selphie said? That the jungle might be magical? If so, why then would it grow there and for what purpose? Sora turned back to his friends as they called for his attention, but he could not push the wild forest out of his mind this time. It lingered there firmly, burning away at the rest of his thoughts.

* * *

"Sora! Sora I think I find one!"

The brunet turned at Tidus' yelling, tripping over the long grass and palm fronds as he raced across the knoll to reach the blonde. The trainer was pushing away bushes and common shrubbery, clearing a path to a skinny sapling. Sora slowed down as he came up to Tidus' side, peering hopefully at the tiny tree. True to his word, a few tender fruit grew among the budding leaves; vibrant yellow and pointed in five parts like a star. "Tidus," Sora said breathlessly, reaching for one of the fruits. He carefully plucked it off its branch, trying not to disturb the other ones. It came off easily enough, and the brunet cupped the fruit in both his hands, staring down at it in elated disbelief. "We really did find them Tidus. We really did!"

The prince launched himself at the trainer, knocking the blonde to the floor with the unexpected hug attack. Tidus grumbled as his head hit the ground hard, but eyeing the ecstatic face above his own, the servant couldn't be angry with the brunet. "Alright, alright," the blonde grumbled, "Can you get off me now? My head's killing me..."

Sora smiled apologetically, and scrambled to his feet, helping the other boy up. Tidus rubbed at the lump forming on the back of his head, before bending down and wiping the rest of the dirt from his pants. "Can I safely assume that we can go back to the inn for the rest of the day? Or are you planning on searching some more?," Tidus asked, glancing further up the hill, to where the little village situated itself. In all honesty, the blonde would have preferred to go back to their room and sleep the rest of the afternoon away. But he would go nowhere without his prince.

Sora mulled the thought over, turning his head first down to the beach and then up the hill. His eyes were being drawn to the jungle again as he scanned the area, and the brunet quickly pulled his gaze away, turning his full attention to the trainer. "Let's go back," he smiled. "Might as well. After all, we found the Paopu and that's what we came here to do."

Tidus sighed in relief. "Alright then, let's go!" The boys ascended back up the hill, and into the little hamlet of Destiny Coast. A tiny place, the village only had several homes and a few more buildings used as businesses and public areas. Most of the buildings only had one level. The inn they were staying in was one of these, with three independant rooms set up side by side. To say the least, Sora and his friends were the most business the inn had seen in a while. As they passed through the village to the inn, which stood on the far north of the village, closest to the jungle, villagers greeted them respectively and the boys returned the greetings. Tidus headed right for the inn's front doors, set on catching a nap before Selphie could stop him. When the blonde noticed Sora wasn't following, he stopped and looked back at the prince.

"Sora, you coming in?"

The brunet canted his head to the trainer, his eyes fixed on the rest of the village. "Huh? Oh, no...," he answered. "I think I'm just going to walk around the village a little. I'll be in shortly."

Tidus blinked at the boy's words, but shrugged and decided that if the prince wanted to stay out and wander the little town a little, it wouldn't cause any harm. "Right. Don't go far. Selphie will call you for dinner." Sora nodded and padded off. Tidus watched him go, before shaking his head and entering the inn. Sometimes the prince was a real space-case.

* * *

It was dark now, but still very warm. Sora wandered the little garden behind the inn, feeling charged with too much energy to go to sleep just yet. Inside he knew Selphie stayed awake, waiting for him, while poking Tidus to make sure he didn't fall asleep until their prince had returned. Though he didn't want to keep his friends up, the brunet just couldn't wind down. His heart was racing like crazy now, and Sora just knew it was because of the paopu sitting on his dresser inside. He really couldn't believe it still, despite having toted the star-shaped fruit around with him all day. He had finally found a paopu... the inclinations of it were overwhelming. When he got home, the first thing Sora was going to do was head to the garden and present it to Riku. The thought of the ghost made the brunet feel ten times lighter. He had just been starting to really miss the spirit these last couple days, and he could just imagine how pleased the teenager would be when he returned. Letting his mind run rampant with childish fantasies, Sora continued to circle about the garden, his smile growing bigger every passing minute. With his head bowed low, the brunet almost didn't see the other person standing on the pathway. Or, should he say, ghost.

"Riku...," he whispered in surprise. For a moment, Sora couldn't believe his eyes. He rubbed at them and pinched himself as well, to see if he was dreaming, but even after all that the spirit remained standing on the path before him; his back turned to the brunet. Sora felt his heart jump up into his throat and his stomach squirmed with uncontainable butterflies. Truthfully, he didn't know what he should be feeling: happy or worried? But the prince settled on happy. Never had he been able to see Riku outside of the palace garden before, but he figured his longing for the ghost might have summoned him here. For a moment, Sora was glad to study the silverette. The clothes Riku wore this night were beyond extravagant. The tunic looked spun of pure silver, and was tied in place with golden thread at his neck and wrists. Sora was ready to believe that there were diamonds and sapphires sewn into the elegant sash tied around Riku's waist, almost blending in lovely with the stark blackness of his leggings. His boots were polished to a high-shine, the buckles gleaming with every catch of the light. And his hair... the brunet had almost mistaken it for rays of fallen moonlight several times now.

"You're out here pretty late," Sora said, after he had finished his admiring and when it became obvious the spirit wasn't aware of the brunet's presence though he stood right behind him. Riku snapped his head up, turning about in shock. He did not smile as per usual upon seeing Sora, instead his lips pulled into a strange, little smile; doing nothing to hide the shadow that had fallen over the other's teal eyes. Sora noticed this immediately and it caused his heart great pain. "Hey, what's wrong?," he asked cautiously, when Riku did not say anything after a long moment. The prince foolishly reached out to the silverette, wanting to touch him and offer whatever comfort he could, but he remembered a little too late that couldn't do that; and slowly, withdrew his hand again.

"Ah... forgot the no-touchy thing," Sora chuckled forecfully, trying to shrug the incident off. But the pain in his heart would not so easily leave.

"Tell me," whispered Riku. Sora stared up at the spirit as he spoke, his head cocked curiously. "What do you do when people you love have to leave?"

The question seemed quite abrupt and out of place. Sora blinked in confusion, puzzling over what to say. What was it that the spirit wanted him to hear? "When people have to leave? Like on trips and stuff?," he replied. Riku did not correct him or anything, so the brunet assumed that this was what his friend wanted to hear. "Well, that's simple," Sora continued, feeling his stomach do nervous flip-flops. He forced himself to smile despite the queasiness of his gut. "I miss them a lot but I know everything will be alright because I'll see them again so the pain isn't all that bad. And in the meantime, I have my friends to keep me company."

'And you, as well,' the prince added in his mind. 'I have you as well. I can't be lonely as long as you are around.'

Riku seemed to mumble something under his breath, that Sora couldn't quite catch. Craning his neck, the prince opened his mouth to call the silverette's attention when he heard Selphie yell for him. The brunet cringed at the maid's desperate screech and cocked his head to the side wearily. Riku turned his gaze up at the sound, resting his attention on Sora again. "Man, I was hoping to say something else, but I can hear the others calling me. If I don't go they'll start to worry about me," Sora said, turning to look behind him. He gazed to the front of the garden, where he could see Selphie standing in the doorway; waiting for the prince to return. She was gesturing wildly for him to hurry up. He let out a tiny little sigh, facing the spirit again; smiling all the same. Sora hadn't even been able to mention his find to Riku! 'There's always tomorrow...'

"Well, goodnight," Sora said. "I hope to see you again soon. I have a new toy and I'd really like to show it to you tomorrow." The brunet turned on his heel and started to jog back to the inn, just as Selphie grew impatient and yelled for him to come inside. Pausing though, because he had rushed out before Riku could even say anything, Sora turned about, fully intent on going back to the spirit. But Riku was nowhere to be seen now. The prince stood in place still, feeling his heart beat in his chest erratically. He didn't know why he hadn't noticed before when they were talking, but it finally occurred to the brunet that the ghost had seemed almost... faded...

Unable to fight the rising chill off, or to locate his dear friend, Sora had no choice but to head back for the inn.

* * *

_He was sleeping._

_He knew it the moment he had opened his eyes in the dream, warm sunlight spilling all around him. A voice called his name, sounding distant in the white-filled world, and slowly he turned; responding to the calling. He had a glance of green, rolling meadows before everything melted away suddenly, revealing a room. He stood by a set of large windows, the panes opened up to reveal a star-lit world beyond the room. From outside drifted the sounds and merriment of revelers; celebrating an occasion he was unaware of. Slowly, he turned to study the rest of the room. The walls were painted a rich navy blue and trimmed with bands of silver and gold. The furniture was polished to a high shine, the golden cushions plumped and dusted to perfection. There were at least two desks on one end of the room, both covered in piles of books, several bookshelves and little end tables spread out periodically through the room. The bed and its matching armoires were situated nearest the windows. And such a gorgeous bed! It was large enough to fit three people easily, with a canopy reaching up to the high ceiling and dropping silk blue sheets on either side of the bed posts. He felt awed by the grandeur all around him and almost missed when the door was opened. Walking into the beautiful room was none other than Riku!_

_He turned to the silverette, opening his mouth in greeting. It was with surprise that he realized that he couldn't speak. But this did not bother him. He watched gladly as his friend went about his duties, taking something out of one of his desk drawers and heading for his bed. Only when Riku laid himself down on the dark sheets, did he realize that something was wrong with the teenager. Riku stroked the bottle that he held in his hands, staring into its clear contents distantly. "I had promised myself that I would try...," the silverette whispered to himself lowly. "But this goes on still and the situation never changes. I can no longer bear to live this pain another year longer... spending every aching breath longing for him..."_

_Riku! He wanted to cry. Riku, what are you doing?_

_He watched in horror as Riku uncapped the bottle, raising it in mock salute to the air. "Goodbye dear friends. I hope to be reunited with you soon," he smiled crookedly. His eyes opened as he lowered the bottle again, staring at it almost sadly. "And you Sora... I hope to see you as well, so I can finally tell you how much I love you."_

_Riku! He screamed, unable to tear his eyes away or move as his friend tipped his head back, draining the bottle's contents. Tears blurred his vision, but still he could make out the silverette's form as he hacked at the evil liquid, falling back on the bed as the poison stole his strength and rendered him powerless. Oh, Riku! His heart ached._

_He thrust out his hands, trying to reach for the teenager, but Riku still remained untouchable; just as before. Sobbing, he crumpled at the bed side, body shaking with his silent cries. The world around him moved about in a blur, the noises mixing together until he could no longer decipher the mutated wails and screams from each other._

"Don't cry...,"_ said a quiet voice._

_He jumped in surprise when a hand reached out and touched his shoulder; scrambling onto his feet and turning around to face the new individual. Sky blue eyes gazed at him from under the cowl of a black hood; the black cape twirling about the stranger's feet from a nonexistent breeze. The speaker did not try to reach out for him again, instead turning his attention to Riku. Looking now, he was in agony to see that the silverette's skin had paled considerably; dark bags bruising the skin under his eyes._

"He is merely asleep...,"_ whispered the hooded figure. He could feel him at his ear suddenly, breathing into the shell. _"As are you..."

* * *

Sora lurched up in his bed, crying out into the darkness. Realizing where he was -and that he no longer stood in the magnificent bedroom beside Riku's dying self- he fell silent, loud thumping echoing on the other side of the wall. The door to his room was thrown open, Selphie and Tidus standing in the doorway. Both were in their night clothes and wearing equal expressions of worry and fear, with Tidus clutching a candlestick in his left hand. "S-sora... what happened? What's wrong?," Tidus asked, turning his head cautiously. Seeing no one else inside the room with their prince, the two servants headed inside; Selphie padding immediately over to Sora's bedside.

"Sora?," she asked, cupping his head in her hands. "Sora, what's wrong?" The brunet gazed at her dazedly, tears falling down his cheeks. He did not answer, instead trying to turn his head away from the maid, but she wouldn't allow it. Finally, Sora wrenched himself from her grasp, shoving Selphie to the floor.

"Sora!"

The prince scrambled from his bed, charging past Tidus as he rushed out of the room. He didn't stop nor slow down as he ran out into the garden, bare feet landing against the stone pathway harshly. Yet the pain did not bother him; there was a greater pain in his heart after all. Sora twisted around the garden, speeding around the corners and leaping over potted plants. During all this, his head turned in every possible direction, eyes wide open as he scanned the moonlit foliage around him. But no matter how hard he searched, or how desperately he called out, Riku did not appear... just as he knew he wouldn't... With a heart-breaking sob, the brunet crumpled to the floor, curling into himself. Tidus almost tripped over him as he rounded the bend.

Any anger the trainer might have had at that moment dissolved upon seeing the cheerful boy curled into the fetal position, and worriedly, the blonde dropped to his knees beside the brunet; reaching out for him hesitantly. "Sora... Sora, please, speak to me."

Unwrapping the boy's arms from where they were wound around his head, Tidus was witness to the painful sobs and heaves the prince was making; Sora's eyes indistinguishable behind the tears pouring down his cheeks. "G-gone...," came the choked whimper. "G-go-one... R-riku... h-he's go-one..."

Tidus could only sit there beside the brunet, unable to move him, listening as the world shattered around his beloved prince and his heart broke. The night had never felt so cold before.

* * *

"Are you sure he's okay?," Selphie asked quietly, glancing back over her shoulder. Sora still stood on the bench outside the inn where they had left him, his eyes staring at the horizon blankly. At the maid's inquiry, Tidus turned away from their horses, tightening the last of the saddle bags with a weary sigh. He too looked at the prince before glancing in the other direction.

"He's stopped crying now," the trainer said. "I'm not going to say that he's okay, just that he's quiet now. But there's nothing else we can do. We should just try to get back to the palace as soon as possible. Donald can take a look at him then."

Selphie bit her lip worriedly, nodding her head in reluctant agreement. "Okay... I'll go get Sora then." The brunette turned on her heel and approached the prince. Sora did not even blink as she approached; gazing out into space distantly still, his fingers wrapped tightly around the paopu fruit that he and Tidus had found yesterday. "Sora," Selphie gently called, barely touching the brunet's shoulder, "Sora, it's time to go now. Come on... to your feet." The girl carefully pulled him to his feet, the prince easily following the direction of her hands. "It'll be alright Sora, you'll see. Donald will look after you, and you won't need to worry about this Riku matter anymore."

Selphie's soothing words didn't reach Sora. He was too numb inside to feel anything, and his head had been filled with a wash of white noise ever since the night before. He could only understand the hole growing inside of his chest, getting bigger for every minute that passed; and the soreness of his rigid fingers around a small, yellow-coloured fruit cupped in his hands. A fruit he had meant to share with a spirit...

_Sora..._

The brunet's eyes grew into focus at the call of his name, and weakly he turned his head about, looking for the person that had spoken. Selphie still talked beside him, but her chatter was muted and distorted to Sora's ears; definitely not the voice that he had heard just now. Slowly, his gaze lifted from the tiny village and its small buildings and higher up into the green, rolling hills...

_Sora..._

His breath caught in his throat, and the prince froze in place. Selphie stopped beside him as well, worried eyes on the boy as she called for his attention. He still did not hear her. Sora gazed into the dark of the jungle at the top of the hill, feeling that tugging in his soul again -harsher and more insistent than anytime before. It pulled at him heavily now, making the prince actually stumble forward a step. Sora exhaled sharply, feeling eyes peer at him from the thick forest, so far away from him. Obediently, the brunet shook off Selphie's hold, bolting off for the hilltop. The maid screamed for him to return, and even his trainer gave chase, but he did not notice. He had only eyes for the jungle and the darkness it held; knowing in his heart that if he didn't hurry, then he'd lose something forever. Faster than he expected, Sora had reached the top of the hill. He paused only a moment before the jungle, feeling his heart skip a beat in fear, before he plunged into the thick foliage and was wrapped within the darkness on the other side.

It was cool here.

Sora felt almost as if he was awakening. His heart ached with an agony he had never felt before, and he could tell greatly that a presence was missing from his side. Riku's presence. But the numbness that had protected him earlier was gone, leaving him raw and bleeding and aware of everything around him again. Swallowing back the whimper that had threatened to rise, Sora tensed his shoulders and took his first step within the black jungle. The grass and leaves crunched under his foot, blending into the distant sounds of other living creatures. For a moment, this spooked the prince, and he looked back over his shoulder regretfully, only to find that the opening he had come through had since disappeared. With a gulp, Sora faced forward again. "Aaah!," he screamed, tripping backwards in shock. The jungle before him had changed in the time he had glanced behind him, becoming a clearing with a nest of black, sharp thorns surrounding the mouth of a cave. Wind blew eerily through the area, echoing with a thousand voices. Among them, was a whisper, calling for him again. Sora clenched his jaw in determination, scrambling back onto his feet and facing the cave entrance bravely.

"Hello?," the brunet called, as he headed for the opening, peering into the darkness within. "Anybody there? Hello?" Feeling the tugging in his gut again, Sora passed the cave's threshold and wandered into the black. His hands trailed over the cold stone as he went, using the walls as his support and to guide him. The lack of vision was beginning to build on the prince's nerves all the same, and he had to keep his pace steady so as not to run ahead or backwards in panic. Eventually, the darkness began to ebb again; shadows shifting against the stone walls -as if they were alive- from the firelight up ahead. "Is someone there?"

Sora rounded the bend and found himself in a room. The cave walls had been smoothed out on all sides, flaming torches bolted to the stone. Among all the empty space, a dais had been erected on the wall far opposite of the brunet, with a stone seat centred on its top. This seat wasn't quite as vacant though as it should be. A book lay on its arm, shining mutely with a radiant light. Curious, Sora crossed the chamber, heading for the throne. His footsteps echoed around the cave as he walked up the dais, his hands carefully reaching out and picking the book up. On its silver cover was an engraved set of tall doors, with a heart as its lock.

"You've finally come, Sora."

Sora spun around at the voice, the book still in his hands as he stared down from the dais and to the individual standing at its bottom. The stranger was wrapped up in a black cloak, with the cowl pulled low over the top half of his face. Only his lips -pulled into a sort of smirk- were visible. The prince felt his breath catch in his lungs again at the person below him, recognizing the other as the one from his dreams. The stranger's smirk grew an inch at the look of realization on Sora's face, lifting his arm and holding his hand out for the brunet.

"Why don't you come down from there? We have much to discuss, and so little time." Sora stayed where he was, uncertain if he should accept the cloaked figure's invitation. Waving his raised hand, the book within the prince's arms vanished, to reappear in the stranger's grasp. His decision made for him, the boy started down the dais, stopping right before the hooded individual.

"Who are you?," Sora asked, trying to peer past the other's hood and to the eyes beneath. He noticed they were of equal height. "Where have you come from? How do you know my name?"

"I see you're not afraid, despite being defenseless and alone where no one can find you," the stranger said, the smirk still on his face. He shifted his hold on the book, tucking it under his arm as he raised his hands and pulled his hood down. "That's good then. If you were weak in heart, then all these years of waiting would have been a terrible tragedy."

Sora stared into the other's face, noticing the dirty-blonde spikes that stood up in a fashion almost like his own, and the same oceanic blue orbs staring back into his own. He gaped in shock, while his almost mirror-image merely smiled softly. "My name is Roxas," the stranger said. "And before anything else can take place you must first know why you are here."

"Roxas...? Riku!," Sora cried out. "Riku! Do you know what... w-what happened to Riku? Please, if you know anything at all, tell me!"

"Calm down," the blonde frowned, stepping around the brunet and up the dais. "The things I'm about to say are about him. Have a little patience." Sora followed the stranger with his eyes, wondering what he should say or do next. Roxas took that time to sit on the stone throne, resting the book in his lap. "To start with," the youth began, "you should know more about Riku. In times of old, at least a hundred years passed now, the faeries -myself included- were trapped into contracts, confined to serve mankind. It was a stupid hoax, all of it, but because of the Gods, we were stuck in this duty; to use our natural gifts and give nobility undeserved strengths and abilities."

"Gifts? You gave gifts?," Sora said, settling on the steps. He looked up at the fey, seeing for the first time ever the sparkle of stars and deeper things hidden within the blonde's eyes. Roxas smirked at the question and rested his chin in one of his hands.

"Yes," the blonde answered. "It was to be a contract that I served under for the rest of eternity... but my own natural gift turned a day of celebration into a foreshadow of despair and I was forced to flee. Because of my mishap though I was no longer allowed into the fold; my contract broken and forsaken by my kin, I took to hiding away from the rest of the world. Unfortunately, to save the world from war, so did they... but nothing we did could have stopped the events to take place later."

"What events...?"

Roxas sighed, shifting in his hard seat. "I foresaw the day of prince Riku's death, but the timing of that vision and my moment of my gift-giving overlapped, so that my words were misinterpertated as a curse on the royal brat, and not the warning that they were meant to be."

"You saw... b-but, Riku, h-he...," Sora swallowed past the lump in his throat, the dream coming to the forefront of his mind. "R-riku poisoned himself..."

"That he did," the fey admitted, nodding his head. "That was to be my warning, but everyone misunderstood. Prince Riku, tormented by his own birth-given curse, could only find one solution to all the problems in his life. That answer: to take his life. You already know why, don't you?"

Sora wiped at his eyes, trying to brush away the tears that had risen. At Roxas' words, he froze. "I-i don't..."

"You do," Roxas insisted. "You just don't know how. Truly, I don't fully understand it myself. A rip in the fabric of existence, a folly of the Gods in the ether, opened up a connection between your two souls; forging a bridge through time and the weave of magic itself. This connection, though you both found great strength and friendship through it, was poisoning you both. Because you fell in love with each other, you were left in longing, and that soured the ties binding you together. It caused you pain... to see and talk, and learn of each other... but to never hold or touch; such a torture it would be on your souls."

"For Riku it became too much," the fey continued. "He, born a hundred years before your time, didn't know how else to cope. He thought he was mad, that God or the devil was playing with him; and the fey had gone underground, so there was no magic to redeem him or explain to him the strangeness of your meeting. He thought you were just a ghost... as I'm sure you thought the same of him, and he thought when he died, he would finally meet you."

"He... but, h-he was alive... even when he talked t-to me?," Sora gaped. He stood to his feet and stared at the blonde. "B-because of that... o-our souls being b-bound and wh-whatnot... h-he was living when w-we were together...?"

"Yes," Roxas supplied. "Within your own lives, in your own times, you were able to interact; only smoke and mist to the other. Like ghosts. He took his own life a hundred years ago... but in your life, it didn't take place until the night before. This is why you grieve. Yet he's not dead, so don't cry..."

Sora turned his head up again, tears pooling in his eyes. "H-he isn't...?," he choked, his voice filled with hope and confusion. Roxas stood up from his own chair and stepped down the dais to the brunet. He held the book in his right hand, and with his left, squeezed the prince's shoulder encouragingly.

"The fast thinking of one of my more favourable companions saved Riku. He used his gift to spare the prince's life, so that when Riku drank the poison, he wouldn't die but be put into an enchanted sleep. That's where he sleeps now...," Roxas explained, his eyes turning to the cave walls, possibly seeing beyond them. "He is in the castle still, deep within this forest. Sleeping; waiting for the day that you would come. But you already know that... don't you?"

Sora was surprised to say that he did. He could feel it in his bones now, with a name to place to it; that tugging he had felt earlier which was pulling him to the jungle, pulling him forward to Riku. "I have to go," the brunet mumbled, pulling away from the fey. He turned to the chamber entrance, his heart racing in his chest. "I have to go. I-i need to, need to hurry."

"Wait," Roxas called. He grabbed the prince's hand before he could go too far, forcing Sora to face him again. The fey, appeased that Sora wouldn't run off again, released his hold on the boy and held the book out. Its light glowed with a brighter intensity now. "Namine built this forest to protect the castle and its occupants for the years that would come to pass. She protects it still, but her spell has also created other defenses; those of which you will need assistance to fight. My gift had been spurned at Riku's celebration, but I still have the power to give it. So that you might be able to save him, who I have watched over all these years, I will offer that blessing to you now. Will you take it?"

Sora could only blink in surprise as Roxas opened the book, white light flowing like a river out of its pages and all around them. In its bright core, something shimmered and the fey pulled his hand out to the side, palm open. The shimmer sparkled around his glove, before a beam of light refracted from the book and the blonde took hold of its rapidly appearing form. Sora shouted in surprise as the light coiled together and erupted in one large burst; blinking his eyes, the brunet tried to focus on his surroundings again. Roxas stood as he had moments before the light had exploded, with one difference: in his fist was a key-shaped sword.

"Take it," the blonde instructed, holding the blade out for the prince.

Swallowing sharply, Sora reached up, his fingers reaching through the squarish guard and around the hilt. A jolt ran across his digits as he touched the odd sword, the electric charge racing up his arm and down his spine. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he grasped the weapon tightly, pulling it from the fey's hand and holding it before him in awe. The amount of raw power that he could feel emitting from the cool metal was astounding, and Sora was aware of how great and dangerous this blade could be when in the wrong hands. "T-this...," the brunet mumbled, "I-i can't accept this. It's too g-great a gift!"

"It's no better than you deserve," Roxas smiled, closing the book and slipping it inside of his cloak. "You have proven yourself valiant and true; a real prince, despite never having the magical blessings of others. This gift, the last and only I can give, I bestow upon you but please understand the importance of its strength. It is not as other blades: when the need arises it'll be there for you always, as strong and as powerful as your heart and not your muscles. To you, the keyblade will stay true; and thus, will be yours until the end of time."

"Now go," the blonde urged, before Sora could say anything more. The fey pointed back the way the prince had come, his expression serious once again. "The spell wavers in your presence, and the weave threatens to break. A hundred years of waiting must reach its end -I only hope you hurry, and keep brave despite the trials ahead. Go! Now!"

Sora nodded his head and spun on his heel, sword gripped tightly in his fist as he ran from the cavern. Darkness surrounded him again, but only for a second, before he was running into the light of the forest. The brunet gasped in surprise, shielding his eyes from the glare with his free hand. When his vision had adjusted, he opened his eyes again, another gasp escaping between his lips. The forest had been dark and thick when he had entered the cave, but though he had exited from the same place, the forest now was now a plain wood; light spilling through the large gaps in the trees. Sora turned his head to look back at the cave only to find that it too had disappeared. Stunned, the prince gazed at the twisting knots of leaves and vines preluding the dark jungle that he had been in only minutes before. "Thank you," he whispered to the foliage, a smile coming to his lips in gratitude to the fair-headed fey. Refocusing on the task at hand, Sora faced forward once more, setting off in a jog.

* * *

Brambles. All around him, thick and dark and sharp-edged, was a wall of brambles. Sora stood on his tip-toes, trying to see beyond the thorny hedge but could see no more than the castle turrets peaking up at the very top. Frowning, the prince rocked back onto his heels, staring uncertainly at the blockade. The thin woods had taken only moments to walk through; leading down a small ravine and up a rocky slope, before flattening out into a sparse meadow. The brambles had grown in small quantities then, and were spaced out in patches, but the further he walked, the more prominent they became; clumping together and weaving tight. This wall here was the result of their consistent gathering, keeping Sora away from the castle that he had been searching for. "Need to get through it," the brunet muttered to himself, pacing before the sharp thorns.

The brambles were healthy and thick -hardly any light penetrated through their entangled arms, making it seem as if they held an orb of darkness within their grasp. Sora wondered if he could even cut through them. 'But Riku's in there...,' the brunet told himself. 'I have to get to Riku.'

Sora faced the wall, feet spread and hands tightening around the sword's hilt as he directed its edge towards the thorns. Determination filled his eyes, and his lungs filled with anticipation as he quickly measured out the best area to strike. Without a sound, the brunet lunged at the brambles, sword drawing back over his head and cutting down onto several branches. The blade bit sharply and cut away its intended targets easily. Stepping back a second, Sora couldn't help but grin as he studied the tear he had just created. "Good thing I was given this sword. I may just be able to get to the castle yet... I just need to cut a path!," the prince beamed, resting to the sword carefully upon his shoulder. "What the-?"

Sora's joy quickly turned to horror as he stepped further away from the brambles, watching in silence as the vines twisted and curled; regrowing the detached limbs and weaving together, covering the dent that had been made. Other vines hissed through the underbrush, reaching up and out toward the brunet like black snakes; the thorns along their bodies catching the light, bringing unnerving clarity to their deadly edges. The prince held his sword before him defensively, shuffling further away from the brambles. He had not expected that the wall would be alive. How was he supposed to get past that thing? "Trials...," Sora whispered to himself, eyes still fixed on the shifting wall. "Roxas had said there would be trials, that I alone would have to pass if I wanted to get to Riku. This is just one of them." He fell quiet for a second, trying to think of a plan.

"There's no other way around them, I'm sure. They grow all about the castle, more than like, so there'd be no point searching for another entrance. Might as well keep going straight ahead," the brunet mumbled. "Gotta get through the brambles, its the only way... but... well, guess I'm just going to have to cut fast."

Not leaving himself to debate it further, Sora rushed for the wall again, the keyblade steady in his hand as he brought it down upon the brambles. The vines shifted at his approach, lashing out for the lunging brunet and trying to halt his attack. But Sora merely dodged the wide-sweeping branches, using the sword to cut down those that got too close, spinning as he finally reached the wall and slashing at the first layer of brambles. They fell down with an eerie squeal, but the prince ignored the unnatural cries, jumping through the gap he had made and past the threshold of the wall. His first thoughts had been correct. The wall was a shallow thing, being only the shell that cased a world of shadows in its core. It was this that Sora plunged into after cutting an entry through the brambles, tripping over his feet as he fell into the shadows. Immediately, darkness surrounded him; the void of oblivion cutting off all signs of life. Sora gasped as he picked himself up, feeling the air weigh heavily in his lungs like liquid; a cold chill settling on his shoulders and freezing his fingers. He could not see before him, could not even hear his own panicked breathing in the darkness, and the prince became weak with terror. His breathing picked up and his mouth fell open, ready to utter one final scream before his conscience faded into the nothing.

The scream in his chest wheezed out into a startled cry as light suddenly flared. Blinking the spots out his eyes, Sora focused on the source as it began to dim; feeling his jaw drop, in awe this time, as he saw the light coming from the keyblade. With a near inaudible hum, white light gently shone from the sword, emitting a glow that cut through the darkness greatly, making Sora visible to himself and driving the chill back a little. Darkness surrounded them still, shifting with noises enough to bring life to unknown terrors, but with his blessing from the fey Sora was no longer bound by fear as he had just been. 'It's time to go find Riku,' the boy thought to himself, gripping the keyblade tightly and running further into the darkness. He held the sword aloft, using its light to guide him; keeping his head forward and his ghostly friend in mind even as he heard things move beyond his circle of light, catching unsure glimpses of frightening yellow eyes. For a while, it felt like he was running aimlessly through the dark, with no path to guide him. But just as hopelessness was beginning to sink in, there came a tugging from the keyblade; like a weight tied to the tip of the sword. Sora let that be his navigator, increasing his pace as the sounds grew all around him. As he ran, the light from the sword began to grow.

"No!," Sora screamed, hearing a snap through the darkness. Pain lanced through his ankle as the unknown object struck at his feet, tripping him and sending him face-first to the ground. The brunet groaned in pain and struggled to rise again, the shadows swirling about him as life stirred in the void. He gripped the keyblade's hilt tightly, scrambling to get up. The sword flared brightly in his grasp, shadows being blown away before him to reveal a towering silver door. His blade shifted towards the door, tip directed at a keyhole just under the handle. Sora could only stare in wonder at the new sight, heart beating in his chest erratically.

"Wh- No! No, let me go!" The shout escaped him as thorns shot through the dark, circling around the prince, tightening around his form. Sora fought them off, swinging the keyblade one-handed, cutting down all vines that gathered to close. Eventually, they started to back off, but the brunet could not rest even then. The shadows at his feet bubbled up into pudgy little forms; yellow, beady little eyes and sharp, black claws drawing his attention before the tiny creatures attacked; blending into the darkness and using it to get under his guard. Sora fought with everything he had, suddenly glad for the fencing lessons he had taken -few that they may have been- for they proved effective as the creatures massed closer; before the glowing edge of his blade cut them back into non-existence once more. Seeing the tiny monsters' forces deplete rapidly, the vines struck forward again. They wound their way through the spaces in Sora's guard, sneaking up behind and under the shadow creatures, curling around his feet unnoticed. Then they lunged upwards, catching his arms, twining around his legs. Sora yelled futively as they halted his movements, writhing as the sharp barbs bit deep into his flesh as the vines tightened around his form, pulling him away from the door. The prince tried to cut them off but they twisted about his arm, making him cry in pain as they dug into the uncovered flesh; pulling his arm back down to his side. Sora knew that if they succeeded, that the vines would pin it there, leaving him vulnerable to the shadows and its creatures.

"T-the door...," Sora grunted, fighting against his bonds still. "I-i have to g-get to the door..."

The keyblade straightened in his fist, tip directed to the silver doors once again. With a low whine, light focused on the sword's edge before shooting out in a dazzling line. The shadows squealed in pain as the light cut across the void, connecting with the doors. Sora, freed from the vines that slithered away in the presence of the glow, shakily stood on his feet, bleeding profusely as he held the beam steady. The silver doors groaned as the light made contact with them, causing the metal to flare up and start emitting its own glow. The radiance pushed through the darkness, driving it away with screams and shrieks of unholy agony. Feeling the weight change slightly in his hands, Sora lifted the keyblade higher, turning it to the side as the weight dictated. There was a click, like the sound of a lock turning, and the glow from both the sword and the doors erupted; filling the prince's vision and erasing everything from sight. When he could see again, Sora noticed that he was no longer in the dark void.

Wearily, the brunet fell to the marble floor beneath him, fingers touching the velvet carpet near him. For a few moments, that's all he did, sitting there on the floor, fingers stroking the rug. After he had calmed down some, he raised his head, studying his new surroundings. From the plane of darkness, he had been deposited in the middle of a grand hall. Towering pillars rose up to the ceiling, twelve on each side of the hall, close to the walls. They were white silk ribbons wrapped around their columns, nearly covering the flags that hung from the tops. The flags were a deep, cerulean blue bearing a silver standard depicting a winged star. The sight stirred something within him, and Sora felt his energy return more. He turned his head around, continuing his studies. The hall was decked out with further white ribbons and gossamer strips of gold and the like; furniture and ornaments shone to perfect brilliance for some event that the brunet did not know of. Everything looked brand new, as if time had not passed whatsoever in this place. But that was not the strangest thing. And all around him, slumped over in seats and on the floor, were people. Sora scrambled back onto his feet, swaying dangerously on his weak legs. He fixed his grip on the keyblade, approaching the closest group of people.

Bending down, the brunet investigated the person. It was a woman, dressed in clothes ages old. He reached out and touched her gently, trying to rouse her. Cold met his fingers, and the prince withdrew them in horror. But his fear calmed down again, and he realized that despite her chill, the woman did not look dead. In fact, there was plenty of colour in her cheeks, her lips were still pink and breath slipped from between them in even lengths. She was sleeping. The whole castle was, Sora remembered, just like their prince. 'Riku...'

Something shuffled in the hall, making a chill run down the prince's spine as he jumped to his feet. The keyblade started to emit a glow again as he tightened his hands around the hilt, holding it before him as he spun around slowly to survey the silent chamber. "Hello...," he called out nervously, shuffling through the dimly lit room. He kept his eyes wide open, sweeping his gaze around the hall. But for all his looking, there were still too many dark places and shadowed niches and comatose people covering nearly every inch of the room. There was a cold feeling beginning to fill his belly, and Sora felt his knees start to get weak again. After the horror of the dark void, he was not yet ready to face such creatures again.

"Riku...," Sora whispered to himself, twisting his head this way and that as he tried to find the stairs. "I have to get to Riku."

The cold increased, a chilling breeze brushing against the back of his neck. At the unearthly touch, Sora spun around -and suddenly wished he hadn't. A stretch of darkness towered over him, coalescing into a humanoid form; dressed in a hooded cloak that oozed liquid shadows. From under the black hood came the unwavering feel of intense eyes staring deep into his soul, and bound in that sightless gaze Sora almost didn't see the black hands that reached for his smaller form. With a strangled cry, he cut at the spectre, expecting it to fade away like all the others. It was with horror that the creature didn't disappear like all the others. The sight of the keyblade made him shrink back a little, but as soon as its tip was facing the floor once again, the spectre stepped forward, hands reaching out for the prince.

Sora did the only thing he could: he ran.

He pushed his legs forward with a burst of speed, leaping over fallen people and around columns and furniture; all the while, hearing the shadow follow at his back. The brunet did not allow himself the moment to look over his shoulder, knowing that if he did the creature would finally catch him this time, and he could not have that happen -not when he was so close to Riku now. He kept the image of the silver-haired prince in his mind, drawing strength from it. But that strength started to becomes doubts, as the boy wondered how he would ever find his friend in this enchanted castle. The keyblade reacted again at his thoughts, starting to weigh down in the tip a second time. Sora exhaled sharply at the added pressure, before picking up his pace and rushing down the rest of the hallway. Despite the good tidings the weight in his blessed sword had given the prince, he found himself tripping to a stop as he neared a three-way junction. Sora snapped his head this way and that, wondering which direction to take, all the while hearing the shadow's fast approach. Roxas' gift proved its potency a third time, shooting off another a beam of light that ricocheted down the hallway on his right; before it rounded the corner at the other end with a flick of its flashing tail. Sora immediately broke into another sprint, chasing after the luminescent arrow. His lungs burned and his legs began to quake as he passed through several more hallways, but the brunet did not slow; instead, forcing himself to pick up his pace. He could feel the Paopu, nestled safely in his pocket, bouncing against his thigh as he ran. Its presence encouraged the prince, who desperately wanted to reach the one for whom the fruit was intended for.

Sora slid against the carpet a little as he rounded another bend, eyes glued ahead for the bolting shaft of light. He was just in time to watch the arrow point toward a door halfway down the hall before it fizzled out in a shower of brilliant sparks. Feeling the strain he put on his body fully now that he paused, Sora fell into an exhausted jog, panting heavily as he headed down the corridor. Was he finally there? Did this room hold Riku? The brunet slowed further as he reached the door, standing before it, breath coming out in anxious little wheezes. Hesitantly -eagerly- his hand reached for the knob; pushing the door open just enough to catch a glimpse of a blue canopy above the bed, cementing the fact that this was indeed Riku's room. His heart beat erratically now.

Through all this though, Sora had forgotten about the shadow.

It swirled around his feet, leaping up before his face and throwing him away from the door. The prince cried out as he was slammed into the wall, the spectre jumping the distance between them and pinning the brunet before he could meet the floor. Sora struggled within the creature's grasp, trying to raise the keyblade, but his assailant had him bound well and the boy could not get the sword to lift even a smidge. He felt utterly lost at what to do next, but his terror grew ten-fold as the shadow closed in around him, pulling Sora into its dark embrace. Caught in the two strong arms, the brunet did not even have the ability to buck against his attacker, and the spectre took this opportunity to slide his hands down the prince's body; cupping Sora closer.

"N-no! Stop!," Sora choked, feeling the hands move across his form; one hand groping at his butt, the other slipping under his tunic and caressing the skin there. He gasped at the intrusions, squirming, trying to make an opening to use the keyblade. A daring stroke from the hand at his ass, a finger tip dragging from the boy's balls and across the perineum through the material of his trousers, faltered Sora's attempts and the brunet released his hold on the sword. Immediately it disappeared, fading away in a flash of light. Sora felt his stomach drop, tears pricking at his eyes.

Another gasp was drawn from the brunet as the spectre plucked at a nipple, pleasure running through the boy's body unwillingly. Sora whimpered as the creature's touches became more intense and frenzied, writhing at the shadow's molestations. 'No!,' he screamed within his mind. 'I-i don't wa-want this! N-not from you! R-riku!'

The shadow released an echo of a moan, curling around the prince, pressing its hooded face into the boy's neck. Sora couldn't stop the moan that escaped as he felt the wisp of a tongue swipe across his skin, the hands still continuing their rough grasping. The brunet tried to call the sword back as the spectre pushed him back against the wall, ghostly hands tearing away the front of his tunic, but the keyblade would not come and Sora openly cried in desolation. He had been so close! Riku was just in the other room, and he would never make it now! Even if he did, he would be sullied... broken... Completely unfit to face the spirit he had befriended and fallen in love with. Sora closed his eyes, sobbing in defeat, as the creature lowered itself upon the prince. A mouth moved across his collarbone and down his exposed chest, licking and biting everything in sight, sending little arcs of pleasure through the brunet's body. Still, none of it overcame the pain that Sora felt in his heart.

'I want to see Riku...'

The spectre paused where it was, one hand curled around the belt that kept the prince's trousers in place. Sora ignored the shadow, crying still as he thought about the silver-haired teen.

'I need to see Riku... To tell him that I want him, only him...'

The shadow stopped completely this time, rising back up and studying the brunet in his hold. Sora, feeling the penetrating stare, finally opened his eyes. Upon seeing the spectre, the prince's broken gaze turned into a glare.

'You can't touch me! You're not him. You're not Riku!'

Light exploded between the two of them, throwing the shadow away and dropping Sora to the ground. The boy blinked in surprise at the suddenness of the assault, feeling his limbs quiver slightly as he fought to regain his breath. How had that happened? Where had the light come from? Sora wasted no more time pondering over the strangeness of the event, noticing that he was now free and that the shadow was regrouping just meters away from him. The brunet scrambled onto his feet, slamming into the ajar door and tumbling into Riku's room. He ran across the chamber, hearing the shadow following once again, racing around the side of the bed and practically throwing himself over the slumbering silverette there.

"Riku!," Sora cried, his hands twisting themselves in the other's silver tunic. "Riku, please wake up! I need you to wake up, I truly do! I don't want to spend another day without you. Please, I love you!"

There was a chill breeze from behind him, and swallowing sharply, Sora turned to face the creature. The shadow loomed over him, quietly studying him, unmoving. The brunet, feeling brave again, stood to his feet; staring back into the hood's dark folds. "Go ahead," the prince said darkly. "Do what you want... It won't matter now. I got here still, even despite everything else." Slowly, Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out the star-shaped fruit. "I even found a Paopu, for me and Riku."

He glared back up at the silent shadow. "So do it!," Sora shouted. "I don't care! Riku will wake up, and that's... that's all that really matters."

The brunet watched as a smile worked its way onto the exposed lips, the shadows coalescing together tightly, before withdrawing entirely. With wide eyes, Sora watched as the darkness melted away and Riku stood before him, all smoke and mist like he had always known him to be. The silverette reached out and traced the curve of his cheek, before walking toward the prince. Sora expected the ghost to hug him, but instead he felt only the biting cold as Riku stepped through him, forcing the brunet to shut his eyes as a gasp escaped him. Even though he couldn't see, he could still feel Riku's essence melt away as he passed through Sora's form, fading from existence. Sora opened his eyes, feeling tears pool at the edges. Was Riku... really gone?

"Sora...," a hoarse voice called.

Sora spun around at the sound, feeling himself choke up as he watched Riku sit up in bed; warm, teal eyes focused entirely on the brunet. Before he could even think about it, the boy threw himself into the other's arms, face pressed against Riku's shoulders as he cried. The silverette graciously wrapped the brunet up in a hug in return, his fingers petting at the smaller male's hair soothingly. From his shoulder, Sora was babbling a bunch of nonsense, made undiscernible through his tears and sobs. All the same, Riku was certain of what the brunet was saying.

"It's alright, Sora," he mumbled lovingly into the other's ear. "I love you too."

* * *

Kairi bolted up in bed the very moment her eyelids fluttered open. With confusion she turned about, finding herself in her room. How was that possible? H-had... had she been sleeping all this time then? Was it all just a dream? The maiden scrambled out of bed, hurrying to her window. The view beyond the castle walls looked the same as before, but the redhead noted right away that the large village and the port side docking town were gone from the hillside. Now, only a tiny little village stood about center on the hills, looking dilapitated and forlorn. 'So it was all real...' Kairi thought to herself. It took a moment for that truth to truly hit her, and then the maiden was racing from the room and rushing back down the hallway. She skidded to a stop in front of Riku's door, throwing all her weight into the wood as she ran into the room. Barely even a few feet within, and the redhead came to a complete stop.

Riku glanced up from the bed upon the maid's entry, sharing a friendly smile with the redhead. "Good morning, Kairi," he said. The girl slowly nodded her head. "There's nothing you need to say. I'm already aware," the silverette continued, looking away from the redhead and back to the bundle in his arms. There was a boy nestled securely in her prince's hold, with brown, spiky hair and a smile on his face as he slumbered. He looked utterly at peace. Riku had one hand on the brunet's hip, thumb softly stroking the curve, and from the other hand wrapped behind the other's back, Kairi could see a glimpse of their country's famous Paopu fruit. Two of its points had been bitten off.

"...is this him?," Kairi whispered, voice filled with puzzlement and awe. "Your ghost?"

"No longer a ghost," Riku replied, a warm smile pulling at his lips. Kairi's heart nearly melted at the sight. There was so much evident love and joy within that smile, and it pleased the redhead to see it. "A hundred years of waiting," the silverette mumbled to himself, "but I finally have him. My Sora..."

"A... a hundred years?," Kairi gasped. Riku did not answer her, too lost in his study of the individual in his arms. The maiden felt her mind whirl and nausea fill her as she contemplated the prince's words. A hundred years! How could that be so?

_Kairi..._

The whisper reached out to the redhead, and she canted her head to the side, trying to catch it as it called out again. The second time she recognized the voice. Namine!

_Kairi... come. There is something I must tell you before I go._

Glancing back at her content prince for a moment, Kairi turned and left the room, certain that Riku would not be going anywhere anytime soon. She hurried down the hall, directed by an unseen force. It led her through the castle, past rooms where people were rising out of bed and off the floor in dazes, and all the way out into the castle garden. The blue sky was vibrant above her head, the sun a brilliant ball of light. Still, her feet continued on through the plush garden, directing her through the beautiful foliage and buzzing life to the castle's main gate. Under the arch, stood the blonde fey; another fair-haired individual by her side.

"Namine...," Kairi smiled, stopping before her friend. "You did it! Y-you really did save Riku!"

The girl smiled, bowing her head modestly. "No, not I," she replied. "The magic I weaved was only to protect and keep you, the prince and the rest of the castle's inhabitants safe until the time that the spell was broken. That specific enchantment was the gift of one of Roxas' companions."

Here, she gestured to the male standing by her side, and he inclined his head slightly in Kairi's direction. The maid curtseyed slightly in greeting. "So... i-it's true then," the redhead sighed, looking at both fey. "What Riku said was true: a hundred years have passed."

"It was necessary," Roxas spoke up. "Two souls forged a connection through the weave, and it was a queer bond that made it infeasible to sever without entirely destroying the lives that anchored it. No Gods, nor fey, could have interrupted this connection; but as it was, they grew so close that the strength of their longing began to erode them. Riku's act of self-murder was his struggle for release -he believed that he would finally meet Sora at the end of it, and that thought instilled him with enough peace and hope that he cared not for the repercussions. But simply taking his life would not correct this anomaly. He would sleep, as was the details of the spell my brethren had cast, until his and Sora's souls had a chance to meet. That meant a hundred years of waiting. And Namine knew, though Riku might finally gain Sora in the end, it would still hurt him to find that he had lost everything else upon awakening."

"And the kingdom as well," Namine added. "Too great a suffering it would be for you and the kingdom to watch your prince in his sleep. Even worse, while the rest of you withered away, and he remain untouched by the mark of time."

"Hence the spell," Kairi nodded in understanding. "I'm glad all the same," the maiden smiled, clasping her hands together. "Riku is back, and he is happy. I will have to thank that boy when he wakes."

"Oh, but what about the others?," the redhead asked, remembering the rest of the rousing castle. "How will they be able to understand it all? You have to stay and explain this to them as well."

Namine sadly shook her head, and even Roxas seemed contrite. "No, we can linger no longer," the blonde said. At Kairi's heart-broken expression, Namine raised her hand beseechingly. "It's been a long time now Kairi. We have remained and watched over everyone for more than a century. It is time that we rejoined the rest of our kin, underground. Mankind must move on and make the world themselves, without our influence."

"B-but...," the redhead cried, tears pooling in her eyes. "I-i'll miss you so... Y-you are my friend, Namine!"

"And you are mine," the fey replied. She stepped up to the maiden, cupping the other girl's cheeks. "You will be fine without me, Kairi. You were always strong from the beginning. And do not forget... you are never truly alone. You have everyone else, and me as well. Here, in your heart."

Kairi took a shaky breath, pressing her own hands against Namine's. "Fair enough," the redhead managed to say after a moment. "I guess I have kept you long enough. You may go now, I don't want to trouble you any longer." The blonde smiled fondly at the maiden, and pressed a gentle kiss to Kairi's forehead before stepping away. She returned to the other fey's side, and grasping his hand, both Namine and Roxas stepped out from under the arch and melted away onto the breeze. Sniffling still, Kairi wiped at her eyes, taking another deep breath.

"Hey! Hey, excuse me!," a voice called.

Startled, the redhead peered out from the arch, and to the road winding down the hillside. Two individuals were racing up the dirt path toward her: one, a female with brown hair, and the other, a tall male with blonde hair. "Excuse me!," the girl was crying out, lifting her skirts and puffing as she forced herself to run the last of the distance. Her partner tripped to keep up with the brunette's astounding pace. The pair of them ground to a halt before the maiden, heaving for a few moments before they could speak again.

"I don't really know how the jungle just disappeared like that, and I'm super shocked that there's actually a castle here and all," the brunette rambled, "But I really must know: is there a young man here with wild, brown hair and ocean blue eyes? Please, it's important! The boy is our prince and we fear for his safety!"

"Selphie!," the teen at her side hissed. "You're supposed to be subtle when dealing with sensitive matters like this."

"Well, I don't care about subtlety, Tidus!," the girl snapped, turning her head to the blonde. "I just want to make sure Sora is okay."

Kairi chuckled at the adorable display, drawing both teens' attention. Blushing with embarrassment, the redhead bowed in apology. When she straightened up, she held her hand out to the newcomers, a smile on her face. "Come on in. There's much to explain."

**

* * *

C.M.D: I've noticed that these fairytales get consecutively longer and longer as I write them, with less and less... umm... sensitive material as it were. I hope the length doesn't bother anyone. I know the dismal amount of lemons is bugging me, since I am renown for being a pervert in my circle of friends -especially when it comes to fairytales. And in fact, I did have plans for a sex scene in this story, but it just didn't happen. My fingers have a life of their own. In either case, before I get carried away and ramble on to much for this note, let me just say one thing about this fairytale: unlike Disney's portayal, Aurora dearest (who, wasn't actually named in the original fairytale) slept for a hundred years before the spell was broken. In the supposed "original" original, she didn't wake up until _after_ her prince charming date-raped her, and one of her children sucked the splinter out of her finger a few years later.  
My only problem though, ignoring this more sexual and traumatic edition, was that the prince _loved_ Sleeping beauty. Either from her photo or from first seeing her period as she was sleeping. How do you fall in love with someone when they're in an enchanted slumber? Gives shallow a whole new definition... I mean, where's the connection? Sleeping Beauty is a bit of an exception though. The writer's at least granted her visions during her slumber to justify her love for her rescuer. All the same... _lame_ idea. And really, I thought the faeries were a bit underrated. I think more attention should have been put towards them. I mean, after all, they played such a major role in this girl's life.  
But I digress... I hope you've enjoyed my rendition of Sleeping Beauty all the same, with its plot twists and different takes, and I hope to hear all your thoughts in a lovely REVIEW. Thank you for reading, and have a good day everyone!**


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